tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696910082009166782024-03-19T04:14:07.494-04:00Adventures in Technical DifficultiesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08259935027632845147noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-62067249352945594982023-05-10T16:44:00.005-04:002023-05-10T16:44:47.889-04:00Wednesday Wit<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XO8SetjvCh5vcO0u1bxnl_h1w59M5L5SOFX1HeQgsZHdkhBFCljkrI6r_kDophjSxne9mvACq9oFJxE5yjAxE-wELMhE_GHhGcqtrsFgokH3usjQir_P87PCsP8WctFVJYc7FShZUp84lcmO4vwtaG8GhWXIquqr5Q40eBxXGHHVabB4K0RXBa4u/s495/Sesame%20Street%20Tech%20Joke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="495" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XO8SetjvCh5vcO0u1bxnl_h1w59M5L5SOFX1HeQgsZHdkhBFCljkrI6r_kDophjSxne9mvACq9oFJxE5yjAxE-wELMhE_GHhGcqtrsFgokH3usjQir_P87PCsP8WctFVJYc7FShZUp84lcmO4vwtaG8GhWXIquqr5Q40eBxXGHHVabB4K0RXBa4u/w400-h398/Sesame%20Street%20Tech%20Joke.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">If this is your image, please let me know so I can give you credit!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /> </p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-90838967995007485902023-05-01T11:14:00.005-04:002023-05-01T11:14:58.874-04:00Canva<p>Have you heard of Canva? If you haven't, you are missing out! <a href="http://www.canva.com" target="_blank">Canva</a> is on fire these days, complete with their own AI tools built right into the platform! It's my new favorite go-to for anything graphic design (sorry Google slides) and especially for creating things with images</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt9z68uekNToc2X_rDqv_D3epdKtKiRgq9ZMNap9Vqfgy_BQtZmgd5AOhQpHbsqLAIDPamvl7yRcWKPEE2I9mgdYospdIdH_HyshoYD0kQwCY-J6KBozGkpo2bSBBmeDR6Enu-9Bvi_ltEceZSxPRDD0S-c6TqPwSjhEytWKJl0WX3chbWMGmQfqr/s900/canva.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt9z68uekNToc2X_rDqv_D3epdKtKiRgq9ZMNap9Vqfgy_BQtZmgd5AOhQpHbsqLAIDPamvl7yRcWKPEE2I9mgdYospdIdH_HyshoYD0kQwCY-J6KBozGkpo2bSBBmeDR6Enu-9Bvi_ltEceZSxPRDD0S-c6TqPwSjhEytWKJl0WX3chbWMGmQfqr/w164-h164/canva.png" width="164" /></a></div>Canva is an online graphic design platform that provides teachers with access to a wide range of tools to create stunning visuals. It is easy to use and provides a simple drag-and-drop interface for creating beautiful designs. With Canva, teachers can easily create professional-looking presentations, infographics, flyers, posters and more in no time. It also offers a huge library of templates that can be used for creating custom visuals with just a few clicks. Teachers can use Canva to create engaging visuals for their lessons and make the learning process more interactive and enjoyable for their students.<p></p><p>Not only can teachers use it, but students can navigate and create in Canva, too! Even better, teachers get a free Canva Educator account, which includes access to the pro library of resources. It also allows teachers to create classes (similar to Google Classroom) and assign projects to students and groups of students, because, yes, you can collaborate on Canva!</p><p>Check out the Canva overview below - it's a great intro to this awesome platform.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9iuWcf67pgM" width="320" youtube-src-id="9iuWcf67pgM"></iframe></div><br /><p>Note this video is a few years old, but still solid for the basics. Canva has a self-paced tutorial once you create an account. That will have all the new bells and whistles!</p><p>//</p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-8938040883086815712023-04-19T10:51:00.001-04:002023-05-01T10:53:01.765-04:00Wednesday Wit<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYegCXPXJ4_4lEbu8A2Ao1CCDHlns68EeG0QGbaW0whj1P5UPN5SGsVvwv09MsEIhCSKAdm6TObpFb1g0SqtTpfkmQVN7tR7l6VsWbq8QcsAb8-LhYAYPRJ5aa8jKDQzZTI_841SiynEN8PFQ57BUrGLZI_pm4ma7Z683enGsFkEG2oZgReN8JWUH/s1344/Backing%20up.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="1122" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYegCXPXJ4_4lEbu8A2Ao1CCDHlns68EeG0QGbaW0whj1P5UPN5SGsVvwv09MsEIhCSKAdm6TObpFb1g0SqtTpfkmQVN7tR7l6VsWbq8QcsAb8-LhYAYPRJ5aa8jKDQzZTI_841SiynEN8PFQ57BUrGLZI_pm4ma7Z683enGsFkEG2oZgReN8JWUH/w534-h640/Backing%20up.PNG" width="534" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><br />Found on the Facebook: How-To Geek</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-36684220326137743302023-03-27T12:43:00.000-04:002023-03-27T12:43:00.956-04:00PD Junkie<p>Hi. My name is Marnie and I'm a PD Junkie.</p><p>I love learning.</p><p>I love the opportunity to attend {meaningful} PD - live, conference, webinar, recorded - anything. In fact, I just registered for another webinar being held later this week. Another because I already have one scheduled for tomorrow.<br /></p><p>The question is, how do I "hold on to" all that I'm learning so that I can share it with others in my quest to help them bring their curriculum to life?</p><p>I talk about it. I talk about what I've learned with colleagues, family (thankfully my sister AND sister-in-law are both teachers, too) and anyone who could possibly learn from what I've learned. BUT I don't talk too much, I don't want to bore anyone!</p><p>One of the biggest things I've learned is that after each webinar, conference session, training, or any PD really, I have to press pause and let the synthesis happen. It's in that pause that I think deeply about what I've learned and how I can apply it to my job.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4aW3Ycq_3GT2-CUyQrgnUwCCbi71ajmJACsMBr0NFQ8xWnXM0fftlGbwIuXSuBgDot15qMRkFSvUZg5WEoHZcOzIW1w7CEzxtfQqsi1D0JXQio3ZaAOKJL5utg-8qxNd4u2H-13X--GNpNJuxY7hUIgPVuZo37DYcPjUjMdJ50C5V885tvR3srml/s927/Lifelong%20Learner.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="927" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4aW3Ycq_3GT2-CUyQrgnUwCCbi71ajmJACsMBr0NFQ8xWnXM0fftlGbwIuXSuBgDot15qMRkFSvUZg5WEoHZcOzIW1w7CEzxtfQqsi1D0JXQio3ZaAOKJL5utg-8qxNd4u2H-13X--GNpNJuxY7hUIgPVuZo37DYcPjUjMdJ50C5V885tvR3srml/s320/Lifelong%20Learner.png" width="320" /></a></div>Is this a tool that could streamline processes for others? Is this an app that would help fill a particular student or teacher need? Could this website provide the missing piece for a problem in which we are seeking a solution? Is there a particular teacher who would love this? Is this just a fun tool with which I want to play?<p></p><p>These days, it's so easy to step into the rabbit hole of learning and let yourself fall for each shiny new item that is shared. The challenge is in that pause. Is the tool one that will assimilate into what you are doing, or is it another thing that teachers will have to "do" during their already overstuffed days?</p><p>I recently got back from the MACUL conference (more about that another time) and went to only three sessions, but each of those sessions was so powerful I was mesmerized. As a PD junkie, it's easy to get sucked into going, going, going. I'm finally starting to become more discerning about how I spend my (valuable) time.</p><p>See, there are literally free (and low cost) webinars for educators DAILY. Yes, you read that right. If you look, you'll be able to find a new webinar to attend every weekday. That would be PD overload. Instead, find the ones that speak to you, that hold promise of something you're looking for. </p><p>I'm a PD Junkie, take it from me....!</p><p><br /></p><p>//</p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-5637605529184709482023-03-08T12:00:00.000-05:002023-03-27T10:52:49.562-04:00Wednesday Wit<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEM24AvG-jXkWdvlnh6ZCc24DLOPLlCWt_p8Q9yFBUNLhOT2noI1TlD6CMoVEtQDGCjFhGM7MYCDXSI4Q_0XD0ZaiLgxbED8LWm5VXvA55PWRxloLROLh-WaOc9Am2JutRWU-DxRevTngpV1btjze-LH9bTqJbH0m3fKrwBc4h66JU3wo4lZECBHEx/s1878/Serotonin%20and%20the%20dopamines.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1878" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEM24AvG-jXkWdvlnh6ZCc24DLOPLlCWt_p8Q9yFBUNLhOT2noI1TlD6CMoVEtQDGCjFhGM7MYCDXSI4Q_0XD0ZaiLgxbED8LWm5VXvA55PWRxloLROLh-WaOc9Am2JutRWU-DxRevTngpV1btjze-LH9bTqJbH0m3fKrwBc4h66JU3wo4lZECBHEx/w640-h482/Serotonin%20and%20the%20dopamines.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://shirt.woot.com/offers/serotonin-the-dopamines?ref=cnt_ctlg_dgn_23" target="_blank">Serotonin & the Dopamines by walmazon on Shirt Woot!</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-89492046819892626862023-02-22T11:40:00.008-05:002023-03-08T11:59:23.571-05:00Wednesday Wit<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKzfl1fGGTprIZByHuvmwa4raaOWNGqt47cNVthJf7UvJZN-OvYKYoPgrnbcDGEdnGkndXf8tkmauGtPZz8sRJG8YTwe574VRz9elUYrGpcN1U3_8xM1acJIT0bWDzWZIU9g1CI7w5QMBMek3yv22smMqol9qiGHNRdBN4xAC54MOcp5QKRjTCC6X/s1985/Instruments%20of%20Control.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1485" data-original-width="1985" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKzfl1fGGTprIZByHuvmwa4raaOWNGqt47cNVthJf7UvJZN-OvYKYoPgrnbcDGEdnGkndXf8tkmauGtPZz8sRJG8YTwe574VRz9elUYrGpcN1U3_8xM1acJIT0bWDzWZIU9g1CI7w5QMBMek3yv22smMqol9qiGHNRdBN4xAC54MOcp5QKRjTCC6X/w640-h478/Instruments%20of%20Control.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://shirt.woot.com/offers/instruments-of-ctrl?ref=cnt_ctlg_dgn_33" target="_blank">Instruments of Ctrl by dankstick on ShirtWoot!</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-48432279083110873102023-02-07T06:09:00.001-05:002023-02-07T06:09:00.181-05:00Tangible Tech<p>When teachers are planning, I'm the first one to say "If it can be done more effectively while unplugged, do it." We need to face facts - sometimes the "old fashioned" way is better than high tech.</p><p>Sometimes, though, you can blend the two. <br />Especially with the younger kids.</p><p>This post features some of my favorite tangible tech experiences that include hands on components, not just screens.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fVza46fZQOHVFRYZ53bf5SfgOOE0P--pUwfU1mZ_H8PabU-KTmutE1w05fs33-L8WxK1yGABohCtJx4MRto72B526Zc6uLGFQ5yGwpv2Mtf631tYeC24uB-SyPQmz3cC-7t8aNP_AO-tqtMCgNTARv-nA2L9ggGVganp8YuvFo2VOU8guFJlm5IK/s1398/Osmo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="1398" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fVza46fZQOHVFRYZ53bf5SfgOOE0P--pUwfU1mZ_H8PabU-KTmutE1w05fs33-L8WxK1yGABohCtJx4MRto72B526Zc6uLGFQ5yGwpv2Mtf631tYeC24uB-SyPQmz3cC-7t8aNP_AO-tqtMCgNTARv-nA2L9ggGVganp8YuvFo2VOU8guFJlm5IK/s320/Osmo.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>#1 - <a href="https://www.playosmo.com/en/" target="_blank">Osmo</a></b><br />By far my favorite tech toy for younger students... or really, all age students! Osmo takes the table in which the iPad/tablet is sitting and makes that table interactive. Using a periscope style device, Osmo has more than a dozen different learning games that students can play with, including tangrams, number and letter tiles, maps, coding, and even pizza toppings! I've blogged about <a href="https://www.adventuresintechnicaldifficulties.com/search/label/Osmo" target="_blank">Osmo several times</a> but I will never tire of sharing this incredible platform.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhjXSuj__rzCvMi7ViXq9nxYL5d66UXSEP3476nBvDjgNEzjT85v8mxfWUYfVnABFgVtjRB6NjNaJc2eoDkSmTj_xIk5bmb4ykqhxmgX4hwqwIrx3s8lypm7UMLzE54hQpCixn6eZfIef3GwV6lD5-lB_xxJTJ0NdIACc_2TI6UED8CVxnFQ4RtaA/s1600/tiggly%20logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1600" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhjXSuj__rzCvMi7ViXq9nxYL5d66UXSEP3476nBvDjgNEzjT85v8mxfWUYfVnABFgVtjRB6NjNaJc2eoDkSmTj_xIk5bmb4ykqhxmgX4hwqwIrx3s8lypm7UMLzE54hQpCixn6eZfIef3GwV6lD5-lB_xxJTJ0NdIACc_2TI6UED8CVxnFQ4RtaA/s320/tiggly%20logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>#2 - Tiggly</b><br />If you are lucky enough to find a Tiggly set, they contain either number rods, vowels, or shapes. The tangible sets are amazing because you stick them right on the tablet screen and the apps "read the screen!" The Tiggly apps do not need the tangible sets to play, instead students use their fingers to engage with the games. My favorite game is Tiggly Chef Subtraction - if the kids need to subtract four, they put four fingertips on the screen. It's kind of hard to explain, but lots of fun to play! Oh, did I mention all the apps are <i>free</i>?!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDE2HPVL01a2WI-wknh2EVbqPPOm88EkSnn1CL5ikRK7BH5k6SLMk_Z1qhr-JtYpY4WUzJNdJnzCmq8F-QLjyVorTSoezLxwilXu5ujcUPERBQhziR-sfMmRUAF7hzIaP_aw7iE1dyviNu7GzWPtIupyqHEA9ccIYrT61iGZKCdS4gTVOlki1zfiu/s1009/SquarePanda_Logo_updated-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="1009" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDE2HPVL01a2WI-wknh2EVbqPPOm88EkSnn1CL5ikRK7BH5k6SLMk_Z1qhr-JtYpY4WUzJNdJnzCmq8F-QLjyVorTSoezLxwilXu5ujcUPERBQhziR-sfMmRUAF7hzIaP_aw7iE1dyviNu7GzWPtIupyqHEA9ccIYrT61iGZKCdS4gTVOlki1zfiu/s320/SquarePanda_Logo_updated-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>#3 - </b><a href="https://squarepanda.com/" target="_blank"><b>Square Panda</b></a><p></p><p>In particular, the SquareLand and Phonics Playset. Remember those magnetic letters that were a childhood rite of passage for refrigerators? Well, this playset uses a letter tray where not only are letters recognized, the platform recognizes whether letters are facing the correct direction. It's a fantastic way to explore letters and phonics and basic site words beyond just clicking a screen. Plus, the reading games are adaptable, adjusting to how well the child is doing with the platform.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvc-v8I5tZbQMGDQg4ocik5r7UPFuEkMWbJHIg-rRYj9WfcVwANVKKXeoYXo5hIVGvKiHBmdFMVOcM0KTDePblIDJ4DkXyksZv6V6SGirNhbyn1ERnhm-rx8do4bG3oFuJjtqI7NVNdW77_8e9AxDJAAdL2Cx0_dJp-rQ1XWxAATpvjB3agVUPB9o/s990/plugo%20logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="990" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvc-v8I5tZbQMGDQg4ocik5r7UPFuEkMWbJHIg-rRYj9WfcVwANVKKXeoYXo5hIVGvKiHBmdFMVOcM0KTDePblIDJ4DkXyksZv6V6SGirNhbyn1ERnhm-rx8do4bG3oFuJjtqI7NVNdW77_8e9AxDJAAdL2Cx0_dJp-rQ1XWxAATpvjB3agVUPB9o/s320/plugo%20logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><b>#4 - <a href="https://www.playshifu.com/plugo" target="_blank">Plugo</a></b><br />Plugo has a unique twist on tangible games, with sets that involve STEAM and letters and numbers and puzzles and even a piano! Connect your tablet to Plugo's Gamepad and the sky is the limit. The Gamepad spaces things out and directs kids where to place objects. Whether you're placing the piano or the number spikes, you can clearly see where things go. There are eight different game sets for Plugo, each with it's own apps and storyline. All are engaging, hands on, fun!<p></p><p>There is a whole genre of screen-free tech toys, too, but that is a totally different post!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p><br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-4642845586482817852023-01-30T09:49:00.001-05:002023-01-30T09:49:00.160-05:00ChatGPTHave you heard of this new tool that has turned education on it head? Unless you live in an unplugged world, you probably have.<br /><br /><b><i> What is ChatGPT?</i></b><br />It is a creation of OpenAI, and as of this podcast, is currently free to explore. In fancy terms, it is a chatbot that uses a language model called GPT-3 which means Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 to simulate conversations with users. It was released in November 2022.<br /><br />In plain English, it’s a very, very cool tool to have in your pocket.<br /><br />When I found it, it was full on panic mode, I mean, this was going to change writing education forever! But, after I got over my panic and fear, I started settling into reality, meaning ChatGPT and tools similar to it will be filling our future. What feels unreal now will be an everyday experience in the “then.”<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivh2hPU9ze8pLzwcOtasTqFp_Xm0cEMCnLhe38_A1dabhcSetSHPK9OHYRn9ZYsWqgv4M4r-3jEmLtVOa7_30AsZwl5GqUvf5vCHCTQPbujFXqHizgVhyEEDYhHbR1KgmjLbSgxg4fBteFlW8-mQE7yxzNomHA3iCqURCe_euQ3Lie2l8ULebXn5PA/s545/ChatGPT%20Clippy.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="528" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivh2hPU9ze8pLzwcOtasTqFp_Xm0cEMCnLhe38_A1dabhcSetSHPK9OHYRn9ZYsWqgv4M4r-3jEmLtVOa7_30AsZwl5GqUvf5vCHCTQPbujFXqHizgVhyEEDYhHbR1KgmjLbSgxg4fBteFlW8-mQE7yxzNomHA3iCqURCe_euQ3Lie2l8ULebXn5PA/w213-h220/ChatGPT%20Clippy.png" width="213" /></a></div><div>zIt is true. ChatGPT is unreal in the sense that it uses AI to write essays, short stories, plays, you name it. Everyone I’ve spoken to instantly thought of those college essays required with most applications and were speechless when they learned of this bot. <br /><br />The scary part is that it does a really good job of composing what you ask of it, and because it uses AI, it’s technically not plagiarism, and therefore is not traceable by the standard plagiarism checkers. This brings up the ethical question of cheating… since it’s technically not copying… and is creating original work… does this mean students would have to disclose that they used ChatGPT?<br /><br />Once I switched into problem solving mode and went looking for ways this tool can be useful to educators, I found some really phenomenal uses for the bot. Even further, speaking with colleagues and perusing social media brought about a plethora of positive uses, which made me feel so much better about this crazy tool.<br /><br />A colleague said that while she wouldn’t want her son using ChatGPT, she herself could use it to learn about what her son was studying, and therefore be better equipped to help him with his homework. <br /><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0xSbtRejVrsZrdx0DjD3nyEL6ZOD13EtmEMIjD8JmpdFT9pCcPHMI5pFENuQvGxxWzt42qDX80yh7EbkVMyVzBAkOf4Mh4hHvwPggZ-qHreXGwclXXbgZ3yeHZTmZ_v2CaTyMPRsTBcYAhaM8jyEDAo4jq-VNcIKv21zh5IlF0WMLg2lC_x0vPjx/s2000/Chat%20GPT.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0xSbtRejVrsZrdx0DjD3nyEL6ZOD13EtmEMIjD8JmpdFT9pCcPHMI5pFENuQvGxxWzt42qDX80yh7EbkVMyVzBAkOf4Mh4hHvwPggZ-qHreXGwclXXbgZ3yeHZTmZ_v2CaTyMPRsTBcYAhaM8jyEDAo4jq-VNcIKv21zh5IlF0WMLg2lC_x0vPjx/w256-h640/Chat%20GPT.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div>We also talked about how if we were at a meeting and the presenter shared something we hadn’t heard of, (which never happens!) we could again go to the bot and ask it to teach us about that topic.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another teacher decided to have the bot write a play on the Golem, a topic his class had just wrapped. The bot wrote the play and the class read it. They then had it write a second play, and compared the two. Finally, he had the class add missing details to the play to make it a richer read.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the socials you’ll find countless ways teachers have found to use ChatGPT. In fact, here is an infographic that shows eight ways teachers can use ChatGPT in the classroom.</div><br />Over the past few weeks, we’ve asked the bot to do countless things for us at school - write essays, yes, but we’ve also used it as an Alexa, just asking it questions. A really neat try was when we asked it to write a decodable short story using a specific vowel pattern to use with 2nd grade and it did it!<br /><br />ChatGPT has taken the educational world by storm. If we focus on the fear it’s raised, we’ll be in trouble. As long as we keep looking for productive, positive uses, it could really have a positive impact on education.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>//</div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-83072745727675766082023-01-24T11:44:00.001-05:002023-01-24T11:44:32.071-05:00Formative Assessment + Kahoot = Wowza!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1eMUe__zaOvSnaYMsQ4KZXFNuac6hy7Xrqsxo2ZyGFMcAHpb8gWH8IPlAsFKFd4x5PDhscyePanZSBR7DREgVp7ZLFLru-c4F7XYZa6_bVgl913QxmKXlBUPHzRneVkkKGtM3J5ab7IdcupjcPJKDkrxmfPFEPmlztGYIjWq-okMNtjd4-w4JeMF/s2708/Kahoot%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1435" data-original-width="2708" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1eMUe__zaOvSnaYMsQ4KZXFNuac6hy7Xrqsxo2ZyGFMcAHpb8gWH8IPlAsFKFd4x5PDhscyePanZSBR7DREgVp7ZLFLru-c4F7XYZa6_bVgl913QxmKXlBUPHzRneVkkKGtM3J5ab7IdcupjcPJKDkrxmfPFEPmlztGYIjWq-okMNtjd4-w4JeMF/s320/Kahoot%202.png" width="320" /></a></div>This week I got to play Kahoot with 2nd graders and it was a blast! It reminded me how much fun Kahoot can be, and that yes, 2nd graders can handle it!<p></p><p>We played a writing review game that covered the basics they've been practicing in 2nd grade writing. It was super easy to put the Kahoot together, took about a half hour, which is less time than it would have taken to make a paper/pencil review.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyaEStMLtsIb0uvC-X7Hz0gVbnY4kTfuNB32glFvI2Hzl4jXRX7ZACoOfmVWvs_Qzc237pi0tROLmRALhCRrzPQmLpBXVf0QU49mo2d73gSrIKwH0KldETY4gkulD5m0H-duLBJBGql6sfK2wflBZQRZZw56LQU4KTmpkiV_yW8cZ7h-ZcIQqX7qN_/s2701/Kahoot%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="2701" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyaEStMLtsIb0uvC-X7Hz0gVbnY4kTfuNB32glFvI2Hzl4jXRX7ZACoOfmVWvs_Qzc237pi0tROLmRALhCRrzPQmLpBXVf0QU49mo2d73gSrIKwH0KldETY4gkulD5m0H-duLBJBGql6sfK2wflBZQRZZw56LQU4KTmpkiV_yW8cZ7h-ZcIQqX7qN_/s320/Kahoot%201.png" width="320" /></a></div>More importantly, though, is the concept of using Kahoot as a Formative Assessment. While I was leading the Kahoot, the classroom teacher's chimed in with helpful reminders, and debriefed questions that needed a little discussion. In other words, though they weren't leading the Kahoot, they were engaged in the process.<p></p><p>Each teacher did ask for the results of the Kahoot when we were done (which Kahoot provides.) Once they get the answers, it's like having a Formative Assessment right in their hot little hands! </p><p>Kahoot is SO easy to use for Formative Assessment! Whether you make your own Kahoot or you use one of the thousands and thousands of pre-made Kahoots (as of this moment there are more than 40 million ready-to-use Kahoots!) The best part about using Kahoot for Formative Assessment is the level of engagement soars! The kids are so tuned into the game, and regardless of whether or not they know it's a review quiz or not, they (at least the kids I work with) love playing!</p><p>One more tidbit about Kahoot - you can use it as a pre-assessment, too, if you want! Pose the Kahoot in such a way that you know the kids don't know this "stuff" yet because you haven't taught it. You want to see what they know before the unit starts. Then, play the same Kahoot again (ghost mode!) and see how everyone did before the unit and again after the unit! </p><p>However you choose to use it, Kahoot is a fantastic (and completely FREE) tool (with upgrades availalbe) that you can use tomorrow. Heck, you could use it today if you're reading this post in the morning!</p><p>//</p><p><br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-7584719921091032522023-01-18T12:12:00.001-05:002023-01-18T12:12:05.826-05:00Wednesday Wit<p> It's the beginning of a new year... that calls for a new invention...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6tZw-Pg5KXb0J-4FHfa0yvhyDXizwjf2JL_MJioNbKZZIgqrr-_JE2MefvmyhHsM9pSmm3pBwPRG7ARqKC9JqHXT1jWfXFn004IixcJn9p_5osWxrqYN1Op3Qie5pNqp90yI31Wg4MhxeUBo1hP77c7aF5gdcyUWvt-m6z0q3MjbSmkeTvzDaiYv/s2514/CH%20Writer's%20Block.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="2514" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6tZw-Pg5KXb0J-4FHfa0yvhyDXizwjf2JL_MJioNbKZZIgqrr-_JE2MefvmyhHsM9pSmm3pBwPRG7ARqKC9JqHXT1jWfXFn004IixcJn9p_5osWxrqYN1Op3Qie5pNqp90yI31Wg4MhxeUBo1hP77c7aF5gdcyUWvt-m6z0q3MjbSmkeTvzDaiYv/w640-h231/CH%20Writer's%20Block.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.gocomics.com/search/calvinandhobbes?utf8=%E2%9C%93&terms=writers+block+calvin" target="_blank">C&H Source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-56834857821051277692023-01-11T14:14:00.003-05:002023-01-11T14:14:53.087-05:00Transfer of Skills<p>My goal as a technology coach is that when I share a tech tool with teachers, and model that tool with their students, and create lessons with the tool that teachers can then (hopefully) take the tech tool and begin using it on their own. Transfer of skills.</p><p>As a technology teacher, when I push in for tech with the kids, my hope is that the technology skills we explore transfer into their daily learning. This is most prominent when we're coding - problem solving, perseverance, breaking problems into smaller chunks to solve, debugging (looking for errors) are all coding skills we practice. The hope is that students take those experiences and feelings (the feeling of being successful in breaking a problem into smaller chunks) into their reading, writing, and 'rithmetic. Transfer of skills.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioh_VHC_T8Enf-1T2a9L0w0rbyxrLT64OQ8rYm-drB4N9e43kfzTh2DhKL3tNfVvTv504qB2CExOi1gdp5kysoEp1dYBCst4mR9gqRQhRL9q3RhaYBGBy5ri4O_Zk7592AkG_WNHj3ftmM6f-4d4gX9LvSQAXlEyOoZtReEpGW_r0j18XSOrA4vBcs/s4032/IMG_9053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioh_VHC_T8Enf-1T2a9L0w0rbyxrLT64OQ8rYm-drB4N9e43kfzTh2DhKL3tNfVvTv504qB2CExOi1gdp5kysoEp1dYBCst4mR9gqRQhRL9q3RhaYBGBy5ri4O_Zk7592AkG_WNHj3ftmM6f-4d4gX9LvSQAXlEyOoZtReEpGW_r0j18XSOrA4vBcs/w171-h228/IMG_9053.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>There is also a reverse of that. When kids are learning strategies for reading unknown words, or tricks for writing with juicy words, or tools to help with subtraction, the hope is that those things learned transfer to when we're exploring different tech tools.<p></p><p>Recently, I was filled with warm fuzzies as I watched this transfer of skills happen twice in one week! And at opposite ends of the building, too!</p><p>8th graders have a big unit every December called <a href="https://www.adventuresintechnicaldifficulties.com/search/label/Campaign%20for%20a%20Cause" target="_blank">Campaign for a Cause</a> where they research different local causes and try to persuade their classmates to vote for their cause. This unit involves watching and creating PSAs. The 8th grade team was blown away by the transfer of skills this year in the PSA making. The kids took ideas directly from the PSAs they watched and embedded them into the created PSAs. Taking that one step further, the winning Cause created a second video that also followed what they had learned, further solidifying the learning.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBslu0M8o-DsEZyFoOIFXU4zoSlkHoBaYsukcSPSJc1JimJ5l8OLu5I4KiQw6TjAeEu28iEC49FW_9M1BtCam_F2Fcn-dd7DDoeIRn5Jb88MJQyd3M0LIcAfYcrA4qQLzb15UKBgt5cinXp9CskKRvkxzMidEeWLWk-iGVqPHclDEJFhLKFMq_Qvj/s4032/IMG_9049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBslu0M8o-DsEZyFoOIFXU4zoSlkHoBaYsukcSPSJc1JimJ5l8OLu5I4KiQw6TjAeEu28iEC49FW_9M1BtCam_F2Fcn-dd7DDoeIRn5Jb88MJQyd3M0LIcAfYcrA4qQLzb15UKBgt5cinXp9CskKRvkxzMidEeWLWk-iGVqPHclDEJFhLKFMq_Qvj/w262-h197/IMG_9049.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><a href="https://www.adventuresintechnicaldifficulties.com/search/label/Boddle" target="_blank">Boddle</a> is a favorite activity to play in our lower grades. Last week in 1st grade, without prompting, students got out their number racks and dry erase boards so they could use the strategies they have learned during math to help them succeed in their favorite math game. The kids are learning to transfer skills young, taking what they learn in one area and using it in another, as a way to achieve success!<p></p><p>Transfer of skills.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzEF7Zijnsq-A8WrIC8hhRzAC8AAAd5owiydk9WJN6oyKjp5RV9wDx9qFP8Ifkf-Q5yQA5dxPedxH7ZjteXQg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><br /><br /><p><br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-13405029185934085492023-01-04T13:28:00.000-05:002023-01-04T13:28:25.947-05:00Stay Safe Online<p>That's the title of the books, or at least most of the books, that the 4th graders wrote as for their summative project of their Digital Citizenship unit. Working in groups of two or three, students had to search their brains for online safety tips they gathered over the duration of the unit and put that to good use: teaching other kids!</p><p>Linked below you'll see their books, created using <a href="https://www.adventuresintechnicaldifficulties.com/search/label/Book%20Creator" target="_blank">Book Creator</a>, and we hope you and your students can learn something from reading them!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://read.bookcreator.com/library/-Mof4AJSqev9VjVkTr14" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1398" data-original-width="2269" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNlvxj9G3ITqLqXTBZg-gZAt-4Ht-t2P1NRD0uZ7QtVXBL592r6Mv-OwaFfSUCRsrKej0lV6nhKpfCZOG2IyPYOnGncSYfe-JK1rZ2SKFjqfDsQnDb8vAgio0FiEI_PI7uLU9YHGOQE8tLtsqMygmTPx-iWKiCXccO3lQVJzf1P0yz569HojX5Qxw/w640-h394/Book%20Creator%20Library.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-63119682599557552162022-12-21T10:17:00.004-05:002022-12-21T10:17:52.978-05:00Fitting In<p>I so vividly remember an experience in first grade, it was sometime in the winter, and it was grandparents day. I was so sad because I didn't have grandparents in town, so I was going to be the only kid in my class without someone visiting me. Lo and behold, my neighbor, Alma, surprised me by filling in as my surrogate grandparent. I was thrilled. I wish I could get my hands on the picture of the two of us that day.</p><p>Another vivid memory was in Kindergarten, when my school set up a Santa's workshop store and we got to go buy gifts for our family members. Having spent my preschool years in a Jewish school, I was more than a little miffed that they only had Christmas stuff, which made it very hard for five-year-old me to shop for my family.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jBBTALj3I1jq5w4w4vHv_lHttSHDWDBkjZNVKp3LwB5taXWFdaxi4MAUEGFOa9Xm1ZizUcDPUAoRvGzs4IbcDfOHzM6FYgErLSSOp0qwRV0WXB_vAqDuvyct4nhSGr5aSBUOX194QO17TzI0qv_WbUJnzoodRopv_2DQHaX-FyGxEIcPrldyoIAD/s2952/IMG_8711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2952" data-original-width="2952" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jBBTALj3I1jq5w4w4vHv_lHttSHDWDBkjZNVKp3LwB5taXWFdaxi4MAUEGFOa9Xm1ZizUcDPUAoRvGzs4IbcDfOHzM6FYgErLSSOp0qwRV0WXB_vAqDuvyct4nhSGr5aSBUOX194QO17TzI0qv_WbUJnzoodRopv_2DQHaX-FyGxEIcPrldyoIAD/s320/IMG_8711.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Fast forward to present day, three days ago. Walking into school on Monday morning I was greeted by a giant menorah (made by our students) and large inflatable Hanukkah bear. I smiled, and was surprised by the tears that tickled my eyes. The same thing happened last year. And I finally realized what it was.<p></p><p>I work in a Jewish Day School. After spending my whole educational career (really, my whole life) being a minority in schools that are "neutral" yet Christmas is covertly-obviously the center focus, I am surrounded by Jewishness. The school is decorated for Chanukah, everyone gives and receives Chanukkah gifts, kids and teachers alike dress in Hanukah garb... all of it.</p><p>And I fit in.</p><p>I'm not the minority. And it feels so good to belong.</p><p>For us educators, this speaks to the importance of building relationships with our kids. Maybe we are more precise with our language to be inclusive of all celebrations. Maybe we are more thoughtful with our classroom decor this time of year (and all year, really.)</p><p>Now, I know there are hundreds of thousands of others that feel how I did, and feel how I do. My hope this holiday season is that everyone has the chance to experience what it is like to fit in, to be in the majority, in a place where they spend a majority of their time.</p><p>Warm holiday wishes to everyone who celebrates a special time this time of year!</p><p>P.S. Yes, Chanukkah has a zillion different spellings. This post used several options!<br /></p><p><br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-79405018982716115212022-12-14T15:21:00.006-05:002022-12-20T11:51:45.114-05:00Adventures in VR<p>Well, we finally got our VR goggles updated and running and the 6th graders finally got to watch their space creations come to (virtual) reality!</p><p>Now, it wasn't the smoothest roll-out, but it was worth all the bumps in the road to make it happen. Last month, our 6th graders used CoSpacesEDU to create their own explanation of <a href="https://www.adventuresintechnicaldifficulties.com/2022/11/cospacesedu-in-space.html" target="_blank">concepts explored during their space unit</a>. They studied the solar system, gravity, and the patterns created by the interaction of the sun, moon, and earth, and had to show these concepts on CoSpacesEDU.</p><p>We spent a full month updating the goggles and reconnecting them to the network as they have sat untouched since COVID. Thankfully, despite having the older goggles (these are now six years old!) we were able to work with ClassVR to get our account up and running again, and transfer the work done on CoSpacesEDU to the ClassVR portal. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-ruCZH5A3scQkVifG1sAJ2y3pYuhYrGiUXu9UU_tgfCRFmd3ZLvgkXA6zbvUA-B-UiFA4eHIscbdZ7n5xF3ppkgNQatfptqwWi_6HY6RA_xa6XEYTBbcQDRH8fWIsaLU2p-HNImiNJYTPv8XJ-F0UlIlJDFz8XqdElV0tT1VI_0rvQNlrtdodV0k/s250/SpaceVR.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="239" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-ruCZH5A3scQkVifG1sAJ2y3pYuhYrGiUXu9UU_tgfCRFmd3ZLvgkXA6zbvUA-B-UiFA4eHIscbdZ7n5xF3ppkgNQatfptqwWi_6HY6RA_xa6XEYTBbcQDRH8fWIsaLU2p-HNImiNJYTPv8XJ-F0UlIlJDFz8XqdElV0tT1VI_0rvQNlrtdodV0k/w309-h323/SpaceVR.gif" width="309" /></a></div>Note: I highly recommend giving yourself a good two weeks to make something like this happen if you're using the older goggles. If you have the newer ClassVR goggles, it works much, much smoother (and yes, now I'm saving up to get a set of the new goggles and retire these older, clunky ones!)<p></p><p>The kids had a blast. They <b>loved</b> seeing their creations come to life! Riding the roller coaster one group made, watching the planets bounce around in a solar system without gravity made by another group - it was lots of squeals of laughter and fits of giggles. We did learn (the hard way) to give your eyes and brain a break every five minutes or so, as the VR world takes a toll on both!</p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-7517745170200007012022-12-08T16:12:00.000-05:002022-12-19T15:43:57.582-05:00Hour of Code Week 2022<p>Hour of Code week is a week I look forward to <b>every</b> year. This year was extra exciting because Code.org published new Hour of Code videos! The one linked <a href="https://youtu.be/ARLt0GcyRgQ">here</a> is the one I showed the 2nd - 4th graders, since they've seen HoC videos before. (I found an older one that was more explicitly code-connected for 1st grade.) They are always in awe of seeing celebrities and athletes that are coding!</p><p>Here's our lineup this year:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1st graders got to play <a href="https://codespark.com/" target="_blank">CodeSpark's</a> The Foos, which is one of my favorites. I love the simple and engaging format for the kids, and the graphics and storyline are unsurpassed! The kids always giggle at the "tushy dance" when the beat a level. It does a great job teaching perseverance in a kid-friendly way.</li><li>2nd graders got their <a href="http://Code.org" target="_blank">Code.org</a> accounts and were super excited to code like "the big kids" get to code. They worked their way through Level B and were so proud of themselves! I love how this level uses directional words - north, south, east, and west - along with the arrows in the blockly code.</li><li>3rd graders coded a <a href="https://hourofcode.com/hatchxrtrex" target="_blank">3D T-Rex game</a> from the Hour of Code site. It was so much fun watching them code each step of the game, and the grins that covered their faces with each success lit up the room. If they finished coding the game, they moved on to Code.org to pick up where they left off in Course C, a perfect step up from course B.</li><li>4th graders got their <a href="http://scratch.mit.edu/" target="_blank">Scratch</a> accounts and started Scratching their way toward video game design, which is their final tech project at the end of the year. To kick off our Scratch adventure, we coded our initials, making them bounce, spin, and dance.</li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVtOmHxvauAa2XGpdH6NKyfYF4fkgfErxyaDc8nA52BDOw1nqjpCG0GzrzPOrK-O6b-8L0XRRu2ek6VL2TQwI3ci2Qf82EjDS3qX8i1ND7BUYfrcvlPMlCJk1iQL3Jrpzy6jrnCf31Xl_ZANS-b05pARyHPDyqQ9Q5IgoPBq0yIKqn3zrEzLVjwB-/s774/HoC%2022.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="758" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVtOmHxvauAa2XGpdH6NKyfYF4fkgfErxyaDc8nA52BDOw1nqjpCG0GzrzPOrK-O6b-8L0XRRu2ek6VL2TQwI3ci2Qf82EjDS3qX8i1ND7BUYfrcvlPMlCJk1iQL3Jrpzy6jrnCf31Xl_ZANS-b05pARyHPDyqQ9Q5IgoPBq0yIKqn3zrEzLVjwB-/w626-h640/HoC%2022.png" width="626" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><p></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-89976111524920896702022-11-28T12:44:00.001-05:002022-12-19T15:09:28.682-05:00MI Google<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcD64I6MrcAATdAJ2ZeDnWcjv57VQuQvfvCFSMvKd_npJxHK5M_5y_eilK3raL37m1Lc-fSj8M3UaxX4Red6mADky9htV-MF3HGdygtvPZg2Ye8-qgaGeDtUeoPiKBgKrnYZ-YTrfHTBTmcQyCfGlslGrfAv3Pe8jCa9n3-XpIz28uUhp1sqPDxWKK/s2423/IMG_8226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2423" data-original-width="2423" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcD64I6MrcAATdAJ2ZeDnWcjv57VQuQvfvCFSMvKd_npJxHK5M_5y_eilK3raL37m1Lc-fSj8M3UaxX4Red6mADky9htV-MF3HGdygtvPZg2Ye8-qgaGeDtUeoPiKBgKrnYZ-YTrfHTBTmcQyCfGlslGrfAv3Pe8jCa9n3-XpIz28uUhp1sqPDxWKK/w267-h267/IMG_8226.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>Earlier this month I got to spend the day at the Michigan Google Conference. It's been on hiatus for the past few years because of COVID, and I'm so glad it's back!<p></p><p>In general, I'm quite a PD junkie, and I love attending just about any Professional Development I can, virtual or in person. I'm grateful that I'm able to attend so many different PDs whenever I find any that catch my attention, and strongly encourage any educator to attend whenever they are given the opportunity!</p><p>MI Google is one of my favorites because it's on the smaller side (200ish attendees) vs our big MACUL Conference (3500ish attendees) vs the huge ISTE Conference (10000ish attendees). I like the size because you can connect directly with the presenters after they finish a session. I know that I love connecting with those who attend my sessions to be able to discuss a concept brought up, answer any questions, and so on.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5EW3bT4VoJTNYfC0oGab8Us1nqjrIobFf80wyoSPT_PJT5O29gqz3DN0aChe0Pq8Q5Ra-bzVww9Colper1ob_Aa88vdZ76giHt7tELAAkCJtpn0iCECSyUSDaoPVJbTM0XK9WE8nQ5_Rs_fjHgklD2mc4727_XYPIaoFgQ0NK25AGPob89exHuDr/s3088/IMG_8232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5EW3bT4VoJTNYfC0oGab8Us1nqjrIobFf80wyoSPT_PJT5O29gqz3DN0aChe0Pq8Q5Ra-bzVww9Colper1ob_Aa88vdZ76giHt7tELAAkCJtpn0iCECSyUSDaoPVJbTM0XK9WE8nQ5_Rs_fjHgklD2mc4727_XYPIaoFgQ0NK25AGPob89exHuDr/s320/IMG_8232.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>This year, I presented a session on Google Slides, which is one of (in my humble opinion) Google's most versatile tools. I had a nice size attendance, too, with 18ish people in the session. I like being able to answer questions throughout the presentation, and this group was just the right size for that.<p></p><p>PD, or at least <i style="font-weight: bold;">good</i> PD is a gift for all educators. It doesn't have to be a massive conference, it doesn't have to be a conference at all, to learn and become re-inspired! (And if you have the chance to go to an EdCamp, don't miss it!) Some of the best learning I've experienced as an educator is through workshops provided by my local ISD. The bottom line is that when given the chance to go, despite the groans of writing sub plans, if there is something of interest to you, do it. You'll grow as an educator and as a person, and let's face it, that change of scenery, even for one day, is always a treat!</p><p>//<br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-5451031923461176052022-11-16T14:30:00.001-05:002022-12-19T14:41:15.202-05:00Chattering via Chatterpix<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUkpFJfgIyRhDoT8BvToiclqBwA0uKpmvZl3nf_l8T6Wuy1NQ5KzaXVgCViD8VNbLUHpXjErUong-5dguZohZDimhhq0GcR9kStH9v-olDWAlEtM8DBCxgs__4_lUybC4-6eke7IqAQS1sNs0eGNjKmtAmSVpmbm-L5b_GElX3gZsRRkmqlGbIEzQ/s2885/IMG_8259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2885" data-original-width="2885" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUkpFJfgIyRhDoT8BvToiclqBwA0uKpmvZl3nf_l8T6Wuy1NQ5KzaXVgCViD8VNbLUHpXjErUong-5dguZohZDimhhq0GcR9kStH9v-olDWAlEtM8DBCxgs__4_lUybC4-6eke7IqAQS1sNs0eGNjKmtAmSVpmbm-L5b_GElX3gZsRRkmqlGbIEzQ/w240-h240/IMG_8259.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>I know this may be an older app, but <a href="https://www.duckduckmoose.com/educational-iphone-itouch-apps-for-kids/chatterpixkids/" target="_blank">Duck Duck Moose's Chatterpix Kids</a> is still one of my favorites, and year after year, I never get tired of introducing it to kids! (And their teachers, for that matter!)<p></p><p>Our second grades complete a Thanksgiving persuasive writing project each November, the fairly popular one where they disguise a turkey so it survives the holiday feast. A few years ago, we decided to add in a technology component, where they use Chatterpix Kids to make their turkeys "talk." This year, I got smart. I had the kids do a practice Chatterpix, going from start (taking the picture, making the turkey talk) to finish (uploading it to Seesaw) and what a difference that made!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxN9y-49lk_ZgK7oxh88sa3LWm8asMYwBvKkK0xZGYnZFGHXC2bKOCmkDHQPGFnYi7xtl2NmBGWaZGV0POoDesXOeB2NZ7ygxbr0LhekshvVef6aw74c79IrKWaNPByzCfdxC-mH08WFBTlWdRnilm05SOBZyi_jDa7fSNWnNNlgPG8xmQLEVXbZy/s1978/IMG_8260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1978" data-original-width="1978" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxN9y-49lk_ZgK7oxh88sa3LWm8asMYwBvKkK0xZGYnZFGHXC2bKOCmkDHQPGFnYi7xtl2NmBGWaZGV0POoDesXOeB2NZ7ygxbr0LhekshvVef6aw74c79IrKWaNPByzCfdxC-mH08WFBTlWdRnilm05SOBZyi_jDa7fSNWnNNlgPG8xmQLEVXbZy/w212-h212/IMG_8260.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>To give them something consistent to use for practice, I brought our own school logo to life! It's amazing what a pair of eyes and a mouth does to an inanimate object! We practiced holding the iPad properly so that it only showed the paper in the background (no carpet!) and we practice speaking loudly, clearly, and slowly so that the mouth had lots of movement!<p></p><p>Past experience has shown that when we practice at this level, the actual project works much smoother. We'll have to wait and see!<br /><br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-17183105318919154962022-11-07T14:48:00.008-05:002022-12-12T11:00:00.648-05:00CospacesEDU in SPACE!<p>We've played around with CoSpacesEDU many times over the past few years. The 7th graders have been doing a very cool project that involves recreating a capital city, and we've dabbled in other areas, too.</p><p>But this is by far the coolest project we've done thus far!</p><p>6th graders spend a good deal of time exploring space. They dive into gravity, seasons, weather, planets, and a ton more. We decided to take a risk and really dive into space using CoSpacesEDU AND ClassVR.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIstrYiosBSwaFtwRZfrFVo980U-Cs7pco7UhyjTtCdESHVOtzlMOh7wEDpBvsBYU3JscQjhFb3aQS2XXuqoYBYAIRgOewXhsKuZLaLLYr-aUHaAc_kxPIRlE8BkRdk-d4_HvMlG3Ke4BqXFJEhkZLaBBNuleQJfkILt4t2diNKCtHTLk5cGWwGrDz/s1236/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-12%20at%2010.57.56%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="1236" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIstrYiosBSwaFtwRZfrFVo980U-Cs7pco7UhyjTtCdESHVOtzlMOh7wEDpBvsBYU3JscQjhFb3aQS2XXuqoYBYAIRgOewXhsKuZLaLLYr-aUHaAc_kxPIRlE8BkRdk-d4_HvMlG3Ke4BqXFJEhkZLaBBNuleQJfkILt4t2diNKCtHTLk5cGWwGrDz/w187-h183/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-12%20at%2010.57.56%20AM.png" width="187" /></a></div>What does that look like?<p></p><p>6th grade students created their own space exploration where they had to teach a concept or two from the unit. Even better, we're going to be exploring those Space(s) on the ClassVR headsets! They got super creative, too. One group created a roller coaster for each planet. Several groups have sounds playing in the background to add ambience. One group brought in a rocket launcher (virtually) that blasts the project off into space, literally!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYkxLAz-rEbxG6DoyKQ9vM2KoexK8dn9kd0bdu2_fdvgHKTeAQDqiObHoZt8Oqe2baFroQXn2d9rux_RVZqyu-c2bzYIf_WlbILWrYOwXtrTZzaHwEn36p6LsVONIIUQH-0aVmTsiIGY6uK4rhJM5Q4ymLGqu6sT39fJqeunXzo1xDLcTu1GGRy9T/s1191/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-12%20at%2010.58.09%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1191" data-original-width="1191" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYkxLAz-rEbxG6DoyKQ9vM2KoexK8dn9kd0bdu2_fdvgHKTeAQDqiObHoZt8Oqe2baFroQXn2d9rux_RVZqyu-c2bzYIf_WlbILWrYOwXtrTZzaHwEn36p6LsVONIIUQH-0aVmTsiIGY6uK4rhJM5Q4ymLGqu6sT39fJqeunXzo1xDLcTu1GGRy9T/w221-h221/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-12%20at%2010.58.09%20AM.png" width="221" /></a></div>I am not well versed in CoSpacesEDU, not embarrassed to admit that. I am pretty solid with the basics of navigating and coding the spaces, but the nuances, eh, I leave those to the kids. And this group took things to a whole new level. They took the basic lessons I gave them and wow! <p></p><p>I'm super excited for the headset viewing party where they'll experience each other's world's in virtual reality. The headsets should be ready soon!<br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-53591593885222408322022-10-20T10:23:00.003-04:002022-12-12T11:42:21.084-05:00Digital Citizenship + Seesaw Lessons<p>If you are a Seesaw user, you have to check out the Seesaw Lesson Library. There are SO many ready-to-go lessons that are standards-aligned, engaging, and just plain fun!</p><p>My first visit to the lesson library was in search of Digital Citizenship resources, since we were heading into Digital Citizenship week. I stumbled upon the cutest little character, Bean, and his friend Mallow, who teach kids all about Digital Leadership. There are a total of nine lessons in the Digital Leadership library, and we went through the first two with second grade.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKyuoP69v4_-eh09jQEyevV51Z1hk8noVhnJT4IfyaQ0_fq-buqoWFJ2LN4Uhwzw_H3UEFhYLcEGnpghXphdC7wTCuHzQ6SdlDIxyqeJmIM2R2oQmXkGhA-5PSAg93Nbcy5vP_X3yuUjiqRY7F7q3JYvzkltOzjzTR0HpojXpV2y1N3HT3SJcAL7l/s1992/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-12%20at%2011.35.06%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1992" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKyuoP69v4_-eh09jQEyevV51Z1hk8noVhnJT4IfyaQ0_fq-buqoWFJ2LN4Uhwzw_H3UEFhYLcEGnpghXphdC7wTCuHzQ6SdlDIxyqeJmIM2R2oQmXkGhA-5PSAg93Nbcy5vP_X3yuUjiqRY7F7q3JYvzkltOzjzTR0HpojXpV2y1N3HT3SJcAL7l/w465-h188/Screen%20Shot%202022-12-12%20at%2011.35.06%20AM.png" width="465" /></a></div><br /><p>The kids loved them. I loved them. I love that the lessons are scaffolded in such a way where there is a whole class activity, an independent practice, an extension or reflection piece, and a home connection. It's all built out for you! Additionally, it's totally accessible for both English and Spanish, with audio tags throughout the pages to read everything to students.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhLm1lp52M68s2axiWrqIP3OzHC-kMsBfgFITCWev6KOzlBbpUfXUi5tmFAZ1EQUcG4PX4GSeZGIUeDtfwKWQTKFSHH0y971QvhxjtmY3YnL3PJgiuqAY4ZrJr597h_Ughbtq7dUen7_1bSERfjsS63qzVEoo8gxGHltnV6fQxfJ3TKC760ktfOMU/s1851/Dig%20Cit%20w%20Bean%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1851" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhLm1lp52M68s2axiWrqIP3OzHC-kMsBfgFITCWev6KOzlBbpUfXUi5tmFAZ1EQUcG4PX4GSeZGIUeDtfwKWQTKFSHH0y971QvhxjtmY3YnL3PJgiuqAY4ZrJr597h_Ughbtq7dUen7_1bSERfjsS63qzVEoo8gxGHltnV6fQxfJ3TKC760ktfOMU/s320/Dig%20Cit%20w%20Bean%201.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>The only suggestion I have after working with the Lesson Library is that if kids are on iPads or tablets it definitely helps to have a stylus and headphones. Well, if kids are on any device the headphones help! We ended up listening to the lesson on the Smartboard and the kids completed each page on their iPad.</p><p>There are lessons for a ton of other subjects, too, from phonics to math to science and more! The lessons are an added cost on your Seesaw license, and they always have a few free ones to try out before you buy.</p><p><br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-84291472760454820952022-10-05T11:57:00.000-04:002022-12-12T09:27:40.995-05:00Keyboarding Revisited<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPTGBCYJC7MarN5lywFNin4ZNK886_E_0cp4V8tpI5A7lbQRz6W9oXGFu_YBAMbL0LpyeTuOwkUrLTSDIWWw5z4wSWAPFxJhGbg_gYow9P77YESysHmYo1eC6P00NX7BPzdkvjPxCiN_caPEKjoxpYLA84Plb-Sjr0hMpyR2DXAmm7vHlCdt18j0g/s2761/IMG_7232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2761" data-original-width="2761" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPTGBCYJC7MarN5lywFNin4ZNK886_E_0cp4V8tpI5A7lbQRz6W9oXGFu_YBAMbL0LpyeTuOwkUrLTSDIWWw5z4wSWAPFxJhGbg_gYow9P77YESysHmYo1eC6P00NX7BPzdkvjPxCiN_caPEKjoxpYLA84Plb-Sjr0hMpyR2DXAmm7vHlCdt18j0g/w224-h224/IMG_7232.JPG" width="224" /></a></div>Every year we start 3rd grade with keyboarding. I know. It seems sorta trite, considering many people learned how to type in an actual typing class. But it's still an important skill, especially when you're trying to get ideas out of your head and onto "paper" and you need your fingers to keep up with the ideas!<p></p><p></p>Anyway, 3rd grade always starts with keyboarding, and this year's group absolutely loves it. For added incentive, once they reach 100 typing stars (given by the amazing platform we use, typing.com) they earn the privilege of putting stickers on their Chromebook cases.<p></p><p>Side note: we learned from <a href="https://www.adventuresintechnicaldifficulties.com/2021/09/a-starry-starry-keyboard.html" target="_blank">last year</a> that passing out stickers for every typing star became quite a commotion. Now they get their first sticker at 100 typing stars. Way more manageable!</p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmVUhFaAjVolWmSk21_uIKxdnh9xzG76QC4r_fYWs80QGg9um_1c9YuGG5z3wwVqPhyDlIHWNwiOP1upWuPJBhUVfb31SLXsrbgw1Mep-Z7Wxy7YZ_VIiwcPydcdWE0gJnylx_a2zklP293KcZwY_Xi0IQTLe5lkb_XxXoJec-rzE-YhC_605N7HFT/s2967/IMG_7233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2967" data-original-width="2967" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmVUhFaAjVolWmSk21_uIKxdnh9xzG76QC4r_fYWs80QGg9um_1c9YuGG5z3wwVqPhyDlIHWNwiOP1upWuPJBhUVfb31SLXsrbgw1Mep-Z7Wxy7YZ_VIiwcPydcdWE0gJnylx_a2zklP293KcZwY_Xi0IQTLe5lkb_XxXoJec-rzE-YhC_605N7HFT/w202-h202/IMG_7233.JPG" width="202" /></a></div>It's amazing how adept at keyboarding those little fingers are! The kids earn stickers at 100 stars, 500 stars, 750 stars, and 1000 stars, and by the time they get to 1000 stars, most kids are typing at the expected 15 words per minute for 3rd grade!<p></p><p>When I'm teaching, I can quickly tell who is practicing their typing vs who has not continued once they earned their basic stars - responses in PearDeck and Seesaw come much smoother from the typers. Plus, it's a great way to start the year - low stakes tech practice while the kids are learning to navigate their new class.<br /></p><p><br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-3065559207419646402022-09-30T11:00:00.005-04:002022-12-12T11:16:01.310-05:00Binder Project<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Uc7U2TQcfo30tfTr0cT2aL-lsw81ebLIZf1Vmn_PZZcK1anLxbthVq-W7XVGtWT7tDocvubcPvuaP0nVdLIhAzyM1WPA4Y_Zw8AIPhySiR6ZXkeCc_1pGfWfAeICergRcUH2RMgaU4amzvLaZA5etGRzm4bhRLgFUJsMWy28LlDyDM4qkTvz3KgD/s2742/binders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2742" data-original-width="2695" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Uc7U2TQcfo30tfTr0cT2aL-lsw81ebLIZf1Vmn_PZZcK1anLxbthVq-W7XVGtWT7tDocvubcPvuaP0nVdLIhAzyM1WPA4Y_Zw8AIPhySiR6ZXkeCc_1pGfWfAeICergRcUH2RMgaU4amzvLaZA5etGRzm4bhRLgFUJsMWy28LlDyDM4qkTvz3KgD/w194-h197/binders.jpg" width="194" /></a></div>Every year our 4th graders start the year by creating covers for their binders. And every year those covers get better.<p></p><p>This year's new trick was Word Art in Google Slides. In the past, the kids have just used text boxes to add their name to the cover. Word Art added in the new ability to create outlines and gradient fills in the text, which is way more fun!</p><p>My favorite part of this project every year is teaching the kids to crop images into shapes. The "oohs" and "aaahhhhs" reaffirm how magical it is to learn something new! (And yes, those sounds also come from teachers as they learn new tech tricks every time we do this project!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeqWnOnLHqWcjSwSTXmokxopVNHKUaeHGLY-cGiny94TiZycM2gC8HNDNuVwIEpUYdYhenbh1G1pHwEdrJn7XFwM2N9JrtNiasQayczBCPk5LxDV1_JMohUPRhr2JbuBDhh_Wecsq93NIaeMPugPHKdi8eTFZJ3SJGu9k99yrP7clijjiaMO99CRf/s892/ezgif.com-gif-maker.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="685" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeqWnOnLHqWcjSwSTXmokxopVNHKUaeHGLY-cGiny94TiZycM2gC8HNDNuVwIEpUYdYhenbh1G1pHwEdrJn7XFwM2N9JrtNiasQayczBCPk5LxDV1_JMohUPRhr2JbuBDhh_Wecsq93NIaeMPugPHKdi8eTFZJ3SJGu9k99yrP7clijjiaMO99CRf/s320/ezgif.com-gif-maker.gif" width="246" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-76915237187484211212022-09-15T09:07:00.001-04:002022-12-12T09:15:25.677-05:00Exciting Times!<p>We are starting the school year off with some super exciting news! We finally got new iPads for our 1st and 2nd graders, which means that every student 1st - 8th grade is using a device that is still under warranty!</p><p>That might not seem like a big deal, but as anyone working with a budget knows, it can be tough to get new devices on the regular. Our refresh plan was finally approved this summer, which means from this point forward, all student devices will always be under warranty. </p><p>This is super important because being students, accidents happen. A lot. But that's where the heavy duty cases come in, for both the iPads and the Chromebooks, which limits the damage.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicl53diWLuNDi_uRnPZtSIswQdxnWfOfQpsnUIKggjU669ufZf-cK_c0QBzhPms3NcRmOHmTf6T86W3xKOufL-b5BF_CcIaz44rXLbuDGL2MciSjDOpAkuRX-HiiBHKT732SdKvUyWC2HiKTdgJ5IwN63gjSjAHw1ISRGOFV5gitszpZlkyL39ILn_/s283/cart-removebg-preview.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="177" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicl53diWLuNDi_uRnPZtSIswQdxnWfOfQpsnUIKggjU669ufZf-cK_c0QBzhPms3NcRmOHmTf6T86W3xKOufL-b5BF_CcIaz44rXLbuDGL2MciSjDOpAkuRX-HiiBHKT732SdKvUyWC2HiKTdgJ5IwN63gjSjAHw1ISRGOFV5gitszpZlkyL39ILn_/s1600/cart-removebg-preview.png" width="177" /></a></div>It was super fun rolling out the new iPads to the 1st and 2nd graders this year, and just as fun setting up the 3rd graders with their new Chromebooks. It's such a different time, when school supplies now include a stylus and headphones, in addition to the more traditional supplies.<p></p><p>You can't forget organization, either. In the past, our 1st and 2nd grade classrooms had buckets for their iPads, with chords going anywhere and everywhere. This year we got mini carts that hold 18 iPads each - perfect for our classes. It makes such a big difference in keeping things organized and easily accessible to both students and teachers.</p><br /><p><br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-400760209239789182022-07-25T13:27:00.006-04:002022-07-25T13:27:57.679-04:00Seesaw Connect 22!<p>If you're in education, particularly elementary or middle school (though this is a great tool for high school, too!) and you're not aware of or using <a href="https://web.seesaw.me/" target="_blank">Seesaw</a>, you're missing out. And if you've heard of Seesaw but aren't using it, this is the perfect time to jump in and try it out!</p><p>Why?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3syOdcmpsYP23HEMsKSKoXiGEE-78NLKcEzBUZItlfb41I7lXUr0mZ5BJNmetpW3T3iwMrF0nNtIyZN2a6h4fVZnnL7Df0I0xLV9M4KyFAdp8Su3tFeje8JfVdZfh-0RH3hRvOBBZQXhBcKwtKZZ-aCg41iOWWHgA0P6mDr9sfc2yBVDe2szn_b5t/s377/Seesaw%20Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="377" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3syOdcmpsYP23HEMsKSKoXiGEE-78NLKcEzBUZItlfb41I7lXUr0mZ5BJNmetpW3T3iwMrF0nNtIyZN2a6h4fVZnnL7Df0I0xLV9M4KyFAdp8Su3tFeje8JfVdZfh-0RH3hRvOBBZQXhBcKwtKZZ-aCg41iOWWHgA0P6mDr9sfc2yBVDe2szn_b5t/w200-h199/Seesaw%20Logo.png" width="200" /></a></div>Because today kicks off <a href="https://web.seesaw.me/seesaw-connect" target="_blank">Seesaw Connect 2022</a>! Register <b>now</b> (if you haven't already) for this incredible, on-demand conference that runs between today and August 14th. Best of all, it's <b>free</b>! Best of best of all, it's a great way to learn more about the incredible platform that is Seesaw. Best of all best of all best of all, Seesaw has a completely free version for teachers to use (in addition to a paid and a school-wide platform) that has more features than you can imagine!<p></p><p>Why use Seesaw? Well, that's a whole separate series of posts, but in a nutshell, it provides families with an inside view of student learning, provides teachers with an easy to use tool to assign, collect, review, assess, and provide feedback that students and families can read (or hear!) in an effort to streamline communication, facilitate growth, and maintain transparency into student learning.</p><p>I love it.</p><p>But don't just listen to me, join the thousands of educators across the globe that use Seesaw, and connect with some of them during this year's Seesaw Connect and the very cool <a href="https://web.seesaw.me/seesaw-connect/#meetups" target="_blank">Seesaw Meetups</a> taking place throughout <a href="https://web.seesaw.me/seesaw-connect/#courses" target="_blank">Seesaw Connect</a>.</p><p>And I can't close without mentioning that I'm hosting a Seesaw Meetup specifically geared toward tech coaches and tech teachers on <a href="https://lu.ma/pky37kcd " target="_blank">Friday, August 12th at 11:00 am EST</a>. Oh, and I've also got a session, too!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90L4FPsy2el_fwdC9fcTyQcatkJhXg-EY3-LcSEo3pBt4QocHshlvmHMRCOqXaqR6qpXO-ORXKmeWHNqu9hQVVKFFcrq6Ujb_rMlHN6YJt-6rraaePxEICb6Sat8j8xhMZK6mrYYRbeyQnh01sbEofWEpUhdUSS2Iax1ihgkpPfOn90FYvU8i05TR/s675/MGD%20Seesaw%20Connect.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="675" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90L4FPsy2el_fwdC9fcTyQcatkJhXg-EY3-LcSEo3pBt4QocHshlvmHMRCOqXaqR6qpXO-ORXKmeWHNqu9hQVVKFFcrq6Ujb_rMlHN6YJt-6rraaePxEICb6Sat8j8xhMZK6mrYYRbeyQnh01sbEofWEpUhdUSS2Iax1ihgkpPfOn90FYvU8i05TR/w400-h178/MGD%20Seesaw%20Connect.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>"See" you at #SeesawConnect!</p><p>//</p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-74296465730227175932022-06-21T09:43:00.000-04:002022-06-24T11:52:03.926-04:00And Again!<p>Welp. I tried this year. But yet again, I got sucked into the chaos of the end of the year and let the blog go silent for a while. I think next year, I'll just post a scheduled hiatus mid-May, since this seems to be an annual event! Better to be prepared than be bummed after the fact!</p><p>Anyway, the end of the school year felt normal for the first time in two years, which meant the normal amount of intense business and exuberant fun. Excitingly, we collected all student devices, as usual, and as long as the order comes in on time, all of our lower school students will be getting new iPads in the fall! The ones we collected just completed their 6th year of classroom use... yep, time for a retirement party.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQAnZwt54HtvpLSSA4qcIWIVPfYbqEH4eNqCXQUG2lLpcIfUCB9vxTs7i73vkANgjq8F1pYsTIWV80wJYz-ljy7Yeq947EgOAuGcVPN44FoPiXDb4PlsB21mAdkbNBdiiCqAn4PPsyEfNplpezlCK-H4rDy1nwGVvo8UJkjloVsWCtemlXyu8hSdf/s947/IMG_5208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="947" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQAnZwt54HtvpLSSA4qcIWIVPfYbqEH4eNqCXQUG2lLpcIfUCB9vxTs7i73vkANgjq8F1pYsTIWV80wJYz-ljy7Yeq947EgOAuGcVPN44FoPiXDb4PlsB21mAdkbNBdiiCqAn4PPsyEfNplpezlCK-H4rDy1nwGVvo8UJkjloVsWCtemlXyu8hSdf/w263-h263/IMG_5208.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>End of the year highlights include...<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>3rd Grade Fairy Tale Ball</li><li>4th Grade Michigan Celebration</li><li>6th Grade Fashion Show in Hebrew</li><li>8th Grade Graduation</li><li>2nd Grade Robot Days</li><li>1st Grade Boddle Baddles</li><li>7th Grade CoSpacesEDU project</li><li>and so much more!</li></ul><div>Now we're in close down mode and readying for the coming school year. All the plexiglass in the building is coming down, the Chromebooks in need of repair have been registered and sent in, and we're updating the technology handbook for the fall.</div><div><br /></div><div>And I'm chomping at the bit because in a few short days, I head out to my first ISTE!</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope everyone's school-year has wrapped with more positive notes than otherwise!</div><div><br /></div><div>//</div><p></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169691008200916678.post-47001120532108567362022-05-20T19:55:00.000-04:002022-06-24T11:53:15.896-04:00Photo of the Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUAImYeU7kHZLDQgQWom1oYOR6punMfuCpVP3vRIXL4yxmbrwh19v1tjjANvRYSICpjm19BTkKkYMVh1o1aiwoJ2DtAQYIo_ghDnfX15qAhpMmIsGVV56UNEqLEHcGkE8u-8KZ_Z4H1wg7v7vz-QKCVzFwvFaUYaQwBp5MrneFltZknMBzLZcOPrA/s4032/IMG_3738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUAImYeU7kHZLDQgQWom1oYOR6punMfuCpVP3vRIXL4yxmbrwh19v1tjjANvRYSICpjm19BTkKkYMVh1o1aiwoJ2DtAQYIo_ghDnfX15qAhpMmIsGVV56UNEqLEHcGkE8u-8KZ_Z4H1wg7v7vz-QKCVzFwvFaUYaQwBp5MrneFltZknMBzLZcOPrA/w274-h365/IMG_3738.jpg" width="274" /></a> </div>The smile on this kiddo's face as she </span><span style="text-align: left;">completed a challenging level on </span><a href="http://code.org" style="text-align: left;">code.org</a><span style="text-align: left;"> <br />reminds me of why I love </span><span style="text-align: left;">doing what I do!</span></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Marniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09521215440844930060noreply@blogger.com0