The Purple Parade

Me, Hadi Partovi (creator of code.org) and R2D2 at ISTE 2016 It's been a couple weeks since I returned home from ISTE 2016 in Denver, CO.  I've been trying to keep my mind clear and focused on what the theme of the conference truly was.  To me, I believe that the Makerspace philosophy (creating solutions to problems through the design process) and STEM (adding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to all subject areas) were the overarching themes of the conference. For example, I enjoyed seeing the robots created by students.  It really showed how students used all types of materials available to make their robots work. I also participated in breakout sessions about the Makerspace philosophy.  In one such session, a panel of speakers from South Fayette Township School District spoke about how they added "making" to the curriculum and have seen science scores soar.  Now of course, test scores aren't the only indicator to the success of the...

Google Slides Google Slides is an amazing presentation creator.  If you are still using PowerPoint, DON'T!  With Google Slides' opportunity of anywhere/anytime access and sharing capabilities, it is all you need to present your information in an engaging slide presentation. After facilitating Google Bootcamp with teachers in my district for 4 days, I'd like to share out my favorite 5 Google Slides tips that I shared with them.    1.  Crop an image to a shape... Insert your image onto a slide Click on the image so it is highlighted. Click on the little arrow next to the crop icon. Choose the shape, callout, etc. that you'd like your image to be cropped to. And you're done!    2.  Slides Carnival Can't find a template in Google Slides that excites you?  Then go to Slides Carnival to find more.  Just make a copy of any of the templates on the site.  Re-name them (put the word template in your name so yo...

Ever since I participated in the Google Teacher (now Innovator) Academy in 2014, I have been amazed by the power of Google My Maps.  It just keeps getting better, and the ways to use it are unlimited! If you've never tried Google My Maps, just try it!  Sign into your Google Account and go to your Google Drive.  Click on "NEW" and then "More", and then "Google My Maps".  You can also access it through Google Maps (click on the 3 lines on the left hand side of the screen and click on "Your places"). For fun, I decided to create a map of all the locations of the 250th anniversary cakes in St. Louis .  I did in the old Google My Maps, so it looks a little different since it was converted to the new maps.  I've also presented on Google My Maps at several conferences.  This is a tour of St. Louis from the M3 conference sponsored by MOREnet . You might think that Google My Maps is only for social studies, and it does lend itself to that s...

Are you ready to have an awesome unlearning experience in St. Charles, MO?  Then join us for our very first EDCAMP!   After attending EdcampSTL, I was stoked to help plan our school district's first EDCAMP!  It will be a fun morning (8am - noon) of collaboration and learning  So, join us in St. Charles, MO on Saturday, June 4th!! For more information or to register, just go to:   https://sites.google.com/a/stcharlessd.org/edcamp-scsd/ Hope to see you there!  

Formative assessments do not have to be just paper/pencil tests. Technology is a great way to quickly assess your students to see where their level of proficiency is on the various subject standards. Have you tried any of the following technology tools to help you in your formative assessments? Mentimeter - quick exit ticket assessments Kahoot - game based quizzes that allow you to download the results Quizziz - review and practice content in a game-like format Quizalize - students complete assessment questions at their own pace GoSoapBox - features include Classroom Q&A and a "Confusion Barometer" Zaption & EdPuzzle - create assessment questions built right into your video instruction lessons Google Forms - amazing add-ons allow for differentiation and data collection Go Formative - use standards-aligned questions for a quick and easy snapshot of learning Don't let Formative Assessments drag you down!  Try using some of the technology re...

The 4C's include:  Collaboration, Creativity, Communication, and Critical Thinking.  The 4 C's came about by a joint venture of the National Education Association and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.  For more information on this, please view the following document: http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/A-Guide-to-Four-Cs.pdf Recently, I have looked for good resources online regarding the 4C's and technology, but haven't been able to find one that is current and applicable to today's classroom.  So today, I have decided to write my own blog post that demonstrates how to combine the 4C's with technology integration in the classroom. Many of the tools listed below can be used in conjunction with each other and overlap the 4C's to really increase the rigor and skill set. However, you must keep in mind that it is isn't just the technology, it is how the technology is used that's important.  Hopefully the following information will help you as you ...

Collaboration is the key to clear communication and cooperative learning.  Educators not only need to encourage collaboration in their students, but it is so great to learn from others through building professional learning networks and collaborating outside the classroom/school walls.  So, I'm sharing my favorite resources to encourage collaboration and communication. If you have a favorite, please feel free to share yours in the comments! Google Drive /Apps for EDU (obviously) - With all the products in Google Drive and the Apps for EDU suite (Docs, Slides, Forms, Sheets, Drawings, Sites, etc.) there is no reason not to collaborate on a daily basis. The easy to use Share button is the key to collaboration and communication! Smore - An easy to use newsletter/flyer creator. However, it isn't your usual newsletter, it's all virtual.  You don't print a Smore, you send it out via email.  You can embed links, images, and videos into your Smore. I love this...