Googliness in Education

Wow! It's been a long time since I've blogged on this site. I've been so busy that I've neglected this blog. The most excited things that have happened to me are becoming a Google for Education trainer and a Google Certified Teacher.

Going to Mountain View, CA this past July to visit the Google Headquarters and participate in awesome collaboration activities with teachers from around the world was an absolutely amazing experience. Keeping in touch with those teachers through Google+ and now Voxer is the best PLC imaginable.

I truly feel that Google wants to help educators in any way possible. I just attended a Google Symposium and the facilitators from Google really gave us things to think about and hopefully change. We need to be thinking beyond the walls of the classroom and into the community and globally. Through Google tools we can do that!

Thank you Google for all you have done for me and for all educators worldwide!

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SAMR and Google ~ A Beautiful Combination

I've been really investigating the SAMR model lately. If you aren't familiar with the SAMR for integrating technology into the classroom, that's ok. I first learned about it last year at a conference. I went to a breakout session and came out more confused than when I went in. So, I took it upon myself to learn about it through researching it online. The SAMR model is this: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition The more I investigated, the more I realized that our district needs to really look at where we are on this model. Yes, we are a Google for Education district! Yes, all students and teachers have access to Google Drive! But, NO, we are not redefining education with technology. One day I was inspired by a fellow Google for Education trainer to really look at how we can use Google Drive to redefine our lessons. So, I created the graphic below with ideas on how to use Google Drive and other Google products through the SAMR model.

Contraction Mania!

This week our first grade team analyzed some Fountas and Pinnell level G books to figure out what needed to be taught in reading to help our students get to that level. We realized that many of the books contained contractions and words with inflected endings. Our first plan of action was to immerse students in a word study of contractions. So, this week I introduced the word "contractions" to my class. I first wrote the word on a piece of chart paper and had them turn and talk and try to tell their partners what the word was. It was funny listening to them talk to each other. After about a minute I had them turn back and tell me what they discussed. I called on one child who then said, "We decided that we don't know what a contraction is." Then, the rest of the class agreed with him. I just had to chuckle at that. It was so cute! Then, I introduced contractions to the kids slowly using paint sample cards that I had made in advance. ~ I got the idea

Micro:bits for 7th graders

We were very fortunate to have received micro:bits from the Economic Development Council of St. Charles County for our 7th grade Project Lead the Way course (Design and Modeling). Our students shined in their coding of the micro:bit and tried to create a game or device that would be good for a student with cerebral palsy (which is what they have been learning about in their PLTW course). Students made light boxes, rock paper scissors bracelets, music devices, reaction time devices, and more! If you haven't heard of micro:bits, let me tell you a "bit" about them. They are small programmable devices that have an LED screen with buttons on one side that can be programmed. Other small devices can be attached via alligator clips and programmed as well. For more information about micro:bits go to their website: https://support.microbit.org/support/solutions/articles/19000013983-what-is-a-micro-bit- Using the programs already on the micro:bit website or coding from sc

The Purple Parade

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