It's a Comic!

First time in a long time that I made a comic in Pixton! It was super simple, easy enough for even kids to use!

The week three challenge in the Google Educator Group of Michigan Tech Challenge was to create a comic with Pixton, and I loved revisiting this tool. There are so many ways that using comics in the classroom can enhance learning for kids and teachers alike. From creating graphic novels, which require concise and deliberate word choice to convey a message, to depicting science experiments, I have yet to meet someone who is not a fan of creating their own comics.

Check out the Teacher's Guide to Tech, it is very handy to have on hand!

Pixton has a one week free trial, and pricing for individual teachers and classroom by the month or by the year. You can also get a quote for school-wide use. Login is simple with Google or Microsoft (or even Facebook for older kids) making this tool great to integrate into teaching and learning.

Tech Tip Take Two!

Last week was a rough one in my community. The number of COVID cases are climbing drastically, and the stress level for everyone is reaching peak levels.

And yet, we're still plugging along, because that's what we do as educators!

Parent emails were plentiful, with some students going remote for the first time, and parents trying to help them get online and whatnot. I found myself writing the same response over and over. And then on Friday when Google Meet went down?! With so many remote students, the emails multiplied like bunnies!

Cartoon by Glasbergen

Thankfully, I love using the custom dictionary on my phone and in Google. It is one of the few times I like auto-correct, actually! I have created my own "codes" so that when I type in a shortcut, say, plmkq, auto-correct automatically changes that to please let me know if you have any questions. Which means as I copied and pasted replies to parents, it was easy to just drop in plmkq, and the other custom dictionary codes I've created, into the emails to expedite the process!

This Week's Tip: Play around with the custom dictionary to make auto-correct a helpful time-saver!

//

Tech Tip!

At the beginning of a calendar year, it is known that lots of people like to set resolutions, things they want to do differently in the coming year.

And then, usually within a month, all those resolutions break. Or at least this used to be my story. Now I just don't make resolutions anymore.

Instead, I stick with one, life-long goal: Be a better version of me than I was in the past.

Some days feel like definite backslides. Other days it feels like I'm miles ahead of where I was.  Most days, though, I try to smile more than frown, be kind not critical, and always presume positive intentions.

Comic Credit: Aaron Bacall

For teachers, it is super easy to focus on the single negative event from the day, especially in days that are packed with more than a regular human can handle. My therapist once suggested that before bed, try to think of three positive moments from the day. Don't dwell on the single piece of criticism or the negative interaction from the day. 

I'll admit that it was (and still can be) a very challenging task. In a day full of smiles, the one frown can pierce my gut like a sword, and sit there for days. It's so easy to perseverate, even though I know it doesn't help at all, instead, giving me perpetual stomach issues.

This Week's Tip: try to find three positive moments in your day, and hold on to those for dear life.