tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39838604739705818382024-03-19T10:48:00.967-06:00Learning and Innovation In Grasslands Public SchoolsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-38039083688645750432016-01-08T14:25:00.003-07:002016-01-08T14:25:30.020-07:00Friday January 8<h3>
Happy New Year!</h3>
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Happy New Year and welcome back everyone!! I hope you had a chance to relax and recharge over the break. It is often difficult for people outside of the teaching profession to understand how truly necessary the break is. Doing what you do is demanding. There are a few things of interest in this week's blog so I hope you find something of use!</div>
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Professional Learning Opportunities</h3>
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It has been great to be in all of the schools over the course of the past few months. I truly enjoy working with you and your students when I visit. Since September I have worked with teachers and students on blogging, website creation, Google Classroom setup, basic setup of Google Drive, and using Google Apps for Education to facilitate feedback, just to name a few. I am scheduled to be in all of the schools throughout the rest of the year. Watch your email for days and schedules of when I will be in your school. </div>
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Many times, teachers say to me that they would like to work with me but are unsure of what to work on. My response to this would be to sit down together for a little while to discuss ways that I might be able to help. If you aren't sure how we can work together, just ask! I'm sure we can come up with something that will be beneficial to you and your students.</div>
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Still, sometimes having the opportunity to attend a predetermined workshop is best. As such, we have scheduled three workshops for all staff over the next few months. All workshops will take place from 4-6PM at the Grasslands Board Office. Please RSVP to sean.beaton@grasslands.ab.ca to attend. They are: </div>
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<li>February 4: Introduction to Google Apps for Education</li>
<li>February 25: Collaborative Learning with Google</li>
<li>April 19: Using Google Apps, Extensions and Add Ons. </li>
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I am always open to other workshop ideas, so, if you have some suggestions, please let me know!</div>
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Some Resources</h3>
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I came across these two websites over the last few days and they look like they may hold some promise. The first is a great list of Google Add Ons that are specifically geared to teachers. The second, is a resource to help create interactive, digital books, handouts, and presentations. This one uses both Google Slides and other software applications. Enjoy!</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_2003436839"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/01/best-google-drive-addons-for-teachers.html">http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/01/best-google-drive-addons-for-teachers.html</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_2003436842"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://ditchthattextbook.com/2016/01/06/8-interactive-google-slides-activities-for-classroom-excitement/?utm_content=buffer4f021&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer">http://ditchthattextbook.com/2016/01/06/8-interactive-google-slides-activities-for-classroom-excitement/?utm_content=buffer4f021&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-74616027461838448232015-10-23T14:52:00.002-06:002015-10-23T14:52:47.078-06:00Friday October 23<h3>
Google Apps for Education</h3>
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One of the things I consistently hear from the teachers I work with is: "there are so many apps and different components of Google. It's hard to keep up!" I absolutely agree! It seems every week, Google or their partners release something new that could be integrated into what we do with our students. Understanding their usage takes time. Working with me is one way to improve your overall understanding but there are other things you can do. Google actually has produced so very good professional development resources. One can be found here: <a href="http://learn.googleapps.com/">http://learn.googleapps.com/</a>. This web page has some excellent resources for many of the apps you use daily. Whether you need assistance organizing your email or scheduling appointments or would like to know more about using Google Docs, this website has resources to help. The lessons organized on the site are very straightforward and I have found them to be very informative. So, if you are looking for a little bit of extra help, check out the resources.</div>
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Education for All Success For Each</h3>
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Next week we will all gather together for a District wide Professional Development day. Early next week, I will be sharing some resources for the day through our Google Drive. I have already created a shared space for all teachers in the division called Grasslands Teaching Resources. You can find the folder here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7M_9FojoI0LenJrM3poa0ZBam8">https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7M_9FojoI0LenJrM3poa0ZBam8</a>. As we approach PD day, there will be questions to guide the work we do next week and space to put the work you complete on Friday. The focus for the day will be centred around long range planning with your students. Elementary, Junior High and High School teachers will have an opportunity to work collaboratively throughout the day.</div>
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<br />Please look for emails from you reminding you of the collaborative space and the documents available to you.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-62504532396254110332015-10-16T14:44:00.000-06:002015-10-16T14:44:18.567-06:00Friday October 16<h3>
Thanks For Sharing! Now What?</h3>
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Over the past few weeks, I'm sure many of you who use Google Drive with your students have received emails saying someone has invited you to collaborate or edit or view some kind of file or folder. Keeping track of all those documents can be rather time consuming, particularly if you are working with many students. Add to that the documents and files shared by administrators and your drive can quickly become a pile of virtual paper. So, how do we manage the document flow coming in to us?</div>
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When working with students, one thing I suggest is they create one folder and share it with their teachers. If they label the folder with their first and last name and the course name (EG: Sean Beaton Language Arts) it makes it much easier to identify who's folder it is. By sharing one folder and putting all of the work for the class into that folder, you will not continue to receive emails about sharing. Anything that is placed or created in that shared folder automatically retains the same sharing permissions as the folder. The students can tell you face to face or through email they have completed the assignment and it is in the folder, or you can check the folder yourself. This entire process is made even more straightforward when you use Google Classroom as all assignments are turned in through the assignment stream. You don't need to go looking for them. You will receive a notification that the assignment is completed in your email but you won't need to search in your "shared with me" section of your drive.</div>
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The same principles apply to sharing with colleagues. If you are working collaboratively with a group of teachers, create one single folder for the group. Share the folder with all your colleagues who need access and place all relevant documents in this folder. That way, people are not inundated with email and they do not need to look in their shared with me section. The one thing you may want to do with a shared folder is add it to your drive so you know where it is. To do this, right click on the name of the folder shared with you in the Shared with Me section of your drive. Then select "Move to Drive." You can then choose where to put the folder. </div>
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<br />If you are using Google Drive with your students, let me know how things are going. I really enjoy hearing feedback and knowing how things are working in your classrooms.</div>
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The Power of Language</h3>
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Over the past few weeks, one of my projects has been to go through various programs of study in preparation for PD on October 30. What I found as I combed through the various curricula was a vast difference in language use. In some curriculum documents, the words General Outcome and Specific Outcome are used. In others it is Related Issue and Concept. Still others use different language. It took me a little while to come to an understanding as to why this was the case - each of the documents was written at a different time. For example the Social Studies 30-1 curriculum was released less than ten years ago whereas the English Language Arts Curriculum is much older. As a result, the terminology does not match. But, the essence of what the documents are trying to achieve is the same. </div>
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Teachers are tasked with helping students move through large "chunks" of information. They can be called General Outcomes or Related issues but they are the same idea. These large chunks of information form the bulk of our units and the bulk of our summative assessments. This is the information we need to report back to parents. The smaller pieces that make up the whole are the things we do day to day in our classrooms - they are the concepts that we help our students understand while working to a larger goal. These smaller pieces are where our formative assessment takes place. We work with students in helping them understand this information and ensure we give them feedback regarding this understanding, all the while moving toward the end goal of the General Outcome. </div>
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This past week, four schools came together to begin the process of collaboratively "unpacking" the curriculum. Over the next few weeks, all of us will get together to begin this process in an effort to continue the amazing work being done all over the district to promote success for each of our students. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-25259465132901985912015-10-09T10:47:00.004-06:002015-10-09T10:47:49.406-06:00Friday October 9<h3>
Google Apps, Extensions and Add-ons</h3>
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It seems everyday there are more bits and pieces that work with Google Apps for Education. Two areas where there seems to be constant development are with Google Apps and Extensions and Google Add-ons.</div>
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Google apps are direct links to web based programs. Adding apps gives you a bit more functionality such as linking directly to your Google Drive. An example of an App is Google Classroom. This is an application that links directly to your Google account an enables you to create a digital learning space for your students. Extensions are small pieces of software that link with the Chrome Browser to enable you to do some really interesting things very quickly. There are literally hundreds of apps and extensions to choose from. They can be found through the <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/apps?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon" target="_blank">Google Webstore</a>. We are in the process of adding apps and extensions to the Grasslands section of the Webstore. If you find ones that you think people would use let me know and I will ensure they are added.</div>
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Here is a link to a Google Slides presentation about some very useful Apps and Extensions. It was put together by Michelle Armstrong, a Google Certified Teacher and Trainer from Calgary: <a href="https://goo.gl/FIIToJ">https://goo.gl/FIIToJ</a>.</div>
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Add-ons are small pieces of software that connect directly to Google Docs and Google Sheets. They can be found by clicking on Add-ons in the toolbar in a Google Doc or in Google Sheets. You then select "Get Add-ons" to see what is available. One that is very popular among math teachers is gMath. This Add-on gives you the ability to include mathematical notation in a Google Doc. You can either type in your notation or you can use the microphone on your computer to speak the notation which you can then insert into your Google Doc. </div>
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Take a look at Apps, Extensions, and Add-ons to see how you can increase the utility of Google Chrome and Google Apps for Education. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!</div>
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A Gathering Place</h3>
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Last week I created a space on my Google Drive for teachers to share lessons, units and examples of student work. One request I have heard from many teachers I've worked with are examples of strategies they can use in their classroom to promote student learning. I was very fortunate to attend a session in the summer with Barry Bennett a University of Toronto teacher educator and author of the Book Beyond Monet. This book provides teachers with hundreds of teaching strategies that are useful in all divisions. Barry gave us all a digital copy of this book and asked that we share it with whoever we felt could use it. As such, I've put it on the shared drive for all of you. I have also put on another of Barry's books called Classroom Management: A Thinking and Caring Approach. </div>
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Both of these resources can be found here:<a href="https://goo.gl/V3SA9b" target="_blank"> https://goo.gl/V3SA9b</a>. Please feel free to download the two resources and add any that you think would be helpful to your colleagues!</div>
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Education for All Success for Each</h3>
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Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a High School Redesign symposium. I am always amazed to hear about the great things that are being done around the province. One item that came up during the day that applies to all grades is the idea of planning for learning.<br />
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In the session I attended, teachers from Lethbridge talked about the process they went through to ensure everything they did in the classroom was related back to concepts and outcomes in the program of studies. They told us about the collaborative work they did during PD sessions to mine through the curriculum. They also spoke about the need to link their planning with the needs of their students. They had very powerful stories of success from both teachers and students who spoke about flexibility, mastery learning and consistent feedback. One piece of advice they had for all of us in the room was to ensure not to "grade" everything the students did but to provide lots of descriptive feedback to the students. In addition, they spoke about ensuring their lessons, planning and assessment was continually linked to curricular outcomes.<br />
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Ultimately, their message was to be mindful of preparing and assessing students. By doing so, they said they were able to promote individualized success. Students who needed some extra supports in their learning received them. Students who were ready for a larger challenge were given that opportunity.<br />
<br />Having visited so many classrooms throughout the division it is so great to see so many teachers finding success with students in a similar way to what was described by these teachers from Lethbridge.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-68394412136809355352015-10-02T14:26:00.003-06:002015-10-02T14:28:38.910-06:00Friday, October 2<h3>
Google Tips - Optical Character Recognition, Read&Write</h3>
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One of the really powerful tools in our Google Drive is something called Optical Character Recognition (OCR). This capability enables users to turn PDFs into editable Google Docs. In many cases, you wouldn't need to edit the PDF. However, if you had a student who needed some support with reading, this could be an interesting way to make information accessible to them. When you combine Google Drive OCR with Read&Write for Google, you have a powerful accessibility tool. For example, let's say you have a student in one of your classes who struggles with reading. You can scan a PDF copy of the text you want them to read, open it as a Google Doc, and then have them use Read&Write for Google (which all of our students now have access to) to ensure the student can access the information. Watch the clip below to see what I mean (Read&Write for Google sounds much better in person).<br />
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A Gathering Place Part 2</h3>
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As I wrote last week, many of you requested that we develop a space for curating and housing examples of lesson plans, assignments, activities, and student work. I suggested we use this blog as a way to store these items. However, it was suggested to me that we utilize Google Drive to achieve this outcome. I agree and think that would be a much better way to store these pieces of information. As such, I have created a shared space for us all: <a href="https://goo.gl/956AKC">https://goo.gl/956AKC</a>. This link will bring you to a folder titled "Grasslands Teaching and Learning." In this folder, there are subfolders for K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. In each of those folders, I have created "Lesson Plan, Activities" and "Examples of Student Work" folders. </div>
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The material you share here does not need to include technology or Google Apps for Education; that is not the purpose. The purpose is to provide a space where you can share resources with your colleagues. The resources could be lessons that you like, assignments that you thought went well, or activities that you would like to share. You can share hard copies of lessons or videos of you working with your students on the lessons. For the student work section, you can share pieces of student work that you and your students are very proud of. One thing to note, however, if you do plan on sharing student work, be sure that you have their permission to do so prior to posting in in the folder. In addition, it is a good idea to remove the student's name from the work. I always appreciated seeing examples of my colleagues' lessons and the work our students were doing. </div>
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I hope this space is helpful and that we begin to create a repository of all the amazing things that are going on in the district. I have the privilege of travelling to schools and working with so many teachers and students. I get to see the really great things you are all doing. It would be awesome if you would share that with all of your colleagues! </div>
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Education for All Success for Each - Multiple Means of Representation</h3>
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In looking at the idea of success for each of our students, I thought it would be beneficial to write a little bit about multiple means of representation. This is an idea that really keys in on finding ways for all of our students to demonstrate their understanding of topics we cover in class. As we move more and more toward outcomes based assessment, this is a powerful way to ensure we know where are students are in mastering outcomes. </div>
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Multiple means of representation simply refers to the idea that we provide our students with different ways to demonstrate their understanding of the topics we cover in our classrooms. They could do so through posters, creation of websites, videos, verbally or through written text. When I taught full time, I always had specific tasks that were non-negotiable - students had to complete them the way they were outlined. This was specifically important for my Social Studies 30-1 students and their written work as it was required of them on their Diploma Exam. However, for many of my other assigned tasks, I gave students the choice of how they wanted to complete them. Of course, this did mean I needed to do a bit more work in creating rubrics. But, once I had the rubrics for a specific outcome, it didn't really matter how the students demonstrated their understanding because they were graded using a rubric for the outcome not for a specific task. </div>
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Providing our students with multiple ways to demonstrate their understanding ensures we get a true sense of where our students are at and whether we need to provide them with support with the outcomes. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-62567451242789564942015-09-24T11:36:00.003-06:002015-09-24T11:36:25.043-06:00Thursday, September 24<h3>
Google Tips</h3>
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Have you ever written an email and pressed send before you were actually ready to send it? Or, maybe you wished you could reword a few lines. With Gmail, that ability now exists. Earlier in September, Google introduced an undo feature to their email. When set up, you have 30 seconds to undo the sending of an email. It isn't a lot of time but it does give you the ability to "unsend" your email. To set this feature up in your email, follow the directions in the video below. </div>
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A Gathering Place</h3>
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At the end of the 2014/2015 school year, I asked for some feedback from all Grasslands teachers. One item that came up many times was the desire to have a space where we could collect examples of lessons and student work. People said to me they would really like to see what their colleagues were doing in their classrooms. There are a number of ways we could to this. However, to me, the easiest way is to use this blog as a gathering place for lessons, activities, assessments, or student work that you would like to share with your colleagues in the district. As such, I am putting out a request for anything you would like to share. I am not looking only for lessons which utilize technology in the classroom. Rather, I would like to share what you are proud of. If you have something you would like to share with your colleagues, whether it is a lesson or a piece of student work, please email me and we can discuss the best way to showcase what you have. </div>
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Education for All Success for Each</h3>
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During our Welcome Back PD session, Superintendent David Steele used the phrase above to plot out the goals of Grasslands. The phrase exemplifies the values of Grasslands Public Schools. These include being a welcoming and safe environment for all of our students and ensuring that each one of them is successful in their learning journey. Success will not look the same for every student, and, as teachers, we need to be aware of this and ensure we have the appropriate tools to make this happen. Over the course of the year, I will try to use this blog to point to different tools, resources, and practices we can utilize to achieve the idea of education for all and success for each. </div>
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One such tool we have access to is the Google Drive. This is a powerful resource to utilize with our students, due to the ease with which we can share, collaborate and provide feedback. One way you can use your Google Drive to promote student success, is to ensure all your students have access to your class notes. You can create a folder on your drive where your students can access the notes for your lesson. In this way, if the students miss something in the lesson or if they were away, they have the ability to catch up. In addition, it provides them with a resource to prepare study notes. By universally providing access to this resource, we can potentially increase the learning outcomes for all of our students.</div>
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If you would like help setting this up on your Google Drive, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would be happy to help!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-62816384708808654982015-09-11T15:19:00.002-06:002015-09-11T15:19:39.192-06:00Voice Typing<h3>
Speech to Text</h3>
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Last year, and already this year, I have received many requests from teachers looking for a speech to text tool to assist some of their students. There are definitely many products on the market which provide this tool. Some are very expensive and somewhat unweildy and some are free but do not work well. It would seem, that Google has come up with a solution they call Voice Typing. </div>
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Voice Typing is a free tool that is incorporated into Google Docs and is available to anyone. To access voice typing, open a Google Doc, click on Tools in the Toolbar Menu and then select Voice Typing. When you are ready, click on the microphone to speak. Like most speech to text software, Google Voice Typing recognizes editing commands like "new line," "period," "comma," and "new paragraph." From what I have seen, it is very good. However, like most speech to text software it may have some difficulty picking up a voice in a loud room or distinguishing what the speaker is saying, particularly if they have an accent. Therefore, the students using Voice Typing will need to read their work to ensure it actually says what they want it to say. </div>
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Some Words of Caution</h3>
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The strength of Google Voice Typing and other speech to text software actually comes in the ability of the student to complete pre writing activities. I always said to my students that if you couldn't speak an essay/paragraph/thesis statement, there is no way you could write one. However, in order to be able to speak an essay, or write an essay, students must complete some prewriting work, whether that is an outline, or a writing web. Without the background work, I believe it would be difficult for students to use this tool. </div>
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One thing I was thinking about as well, is how this could be utilized with our ELL families. Google Voice Typing recognizes 40 different languages. Combined with Google Translate, itwould be very powerful if used during parent-teacher interviews with parents who have difficulty expressing themselves in English.</div>
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I hope your week was awesome! Have a great weekend!</div>
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All the best,</div>
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Sean </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-68145131238739018112015-09-04T11:45:00.000-06:002015-09-04T11:45:05.371-06:00Welcome Back!!Welcome back everyone! Hopefully you all had time to relax over the summer. As I did last year, I will try to send out this blog every week, depending on my schedule. In the blog, I will highlight things that are going on in the division and things that are going on with our Google Apps for Education. Google was very busy over the summer making quite a few changes to Google Apps. I will share as much information as I have in the coming weeks. I will also use this blog to share information about teaching and learning, curriculum, and assessment.<br />
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I want to keep this entry short as I know how much you have going on. But, I think it is important for you to all know you all have access to funds to work one on one with me. The funds are available to pay for a half day sub so we have time to plan and problem solve together. To access these funds, book a time with me by either following this link <a href="http://gpsdlearningandinnovation.blogspot.ca/p/contact-me.html" target="_blank">Learning and Innovation Booking Form</a> or by sending me an email request. Once we agree on a time, you book a sub and complete the Learning and Innovation Collaboration form found here: <a href="http://www.grasslands.ab.ca/view.php?action=documents&id=639" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">http://www.grasslands.ab.ca/<wbr></wbr>view.php?action=documents&id=<wbr></wbr>639</a>. Bring that form to the meeting and we are set!<br />
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In addition, I will come work with you and your students in your classroom. Last year, I had the privilege of working with students from grade 1 through 12. I will be in schools at least once per month throughout the year. If you would like the schedule of when I will be in your school, please let me know.<br />
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Ultimately, I am your resource. I thoroughly enjoy being in schools and working with our teachers and students. I am looking forward to another great year in Grasslands!<br />
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Have a great day and a great long weekend!!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-21994940549501565152015-03-27T15:00:00.004-06:002015-03-27T15:00:54.790-06:00Using Google Drive and Google Docs to Promote Peer EditingGood afternoon everyone,<br />
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This week, I went the practical route in my post. I thought I would provide you with a concrete example of how to utilize Google Drive and Google Docs to promote peer editing and collaboration among your students. I have worked with quite a few teachers setting this up. We have found that the initial setup takes a bit of time but once it is organized it is an excellent way to promote peer editing and collaboration.<br />
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Step One: Have Students Create a Folder and Share it With You</h3>
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The first step in this process is to have your students create a folder on their Google Drive and share it with you. By doing this, you will be able to see everything they put into that folder. I would suggest you have them build their writing in that folder directly. That way, they don't have to move anything. If they build their written piece using Google Docs in their shared folder, it keeps everything together and organized.</div>
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Step Two: Create Editing Groups</h3>
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Once your students have a piece of writing in their folder, you can begin to create groupings of your students. Create folders for your groups. I would suggest naming them with either the names of the students in the group or Group 1, Group 2, etc. Once you have the folder created, share it with only the students in that group. Because you created the folder, you will be able to see everything they do in the folder.</div>
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Step Three: Have Students Put Their Work in the Group Folder</h3>
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Have students make a copy of the work they have completed. They can then move the copy of their work into their shared group folder. Once their work is in that folder, they can begin the process of peer editing. How you decide to do this is entirely up to you. Students can suggest edits on the pieces or can comment on the work. Choose a strategy that works for you and for your students. </div>
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<br />Once the students have a piece that has been peer edited, they could make a copy of it and place it back into their original folder they shared with you. This becomes their final piece of writing. One further step could be for the students to share their final, peer edited piece with people outside of your classroom by publishing their piece on a blog or by sharing the piece through Google Drive with students or teachers outside of your class.</div>
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The End</h3>
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The goal in this process is twofold. First, students write a piece and share it with you. They then share the piece with their peers and get feedback and incorporate the feedback into their writing. This process encourages collaboration and helps them develop peer editing skills. By sharing the finished piece through a blog or another format, the students can bring their writing to a wider audience.</div>
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If this is something you would be interested in doing with your students (no matter what grade they are in), let me know and I would be happy to help you set it up.</div>
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Have a great day!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-31673470465221473782015-03-20T16:06:00.000-06:002015-03-20T16:06:19.338-06:00Professional Learning OpportunitiesOne thing I have heard from many teachers is the desire to have more time to learn the tools related to Google Apps for Education. It is very difficult to find time during the day to "play" with the tools we have available to us in order to feel comfortable with them.<br />
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Tech Tuesday</h3>
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Shawn Lachapelle, a teacher at Brooks Junior High, suggested the idea of a tech Tuesday, an evening where we can get together to have time to learn how to use some of the tools we have available through Google Apps for Education. I thought this was a great idea and through some work (mostly done by Mr. Lachapelle) we are able to invite you all to Tech Tuesday at 7PM on April 21. This meeting will take place at Brooks Junior High School in the library. Our hope is that we will be able to offer other evenings around the district so people have an opportunity to learn more about what they can do with the applications. We will have some teacher and student presentations, a Q and A session, and lots of time to use the computers in the library as well as the Chromebooks at the Junior High. </div>
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If this is something you are interested in, please let me know by RSVPing to me at sean.beaton@grasslands.ab.ca.</div>
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If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact me. </div>
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School Visits and Guest Blog</h3>
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As of Monday, I will complete all of my school visits. I am in Tilley for the last one. My visits have been very beneficial. I have worked with students and teachers from grade 1 through 12. There are a lot of amazing things going on in the division that I would like to share with you all. If you didn't get a chance to work with me when I was in your school and would like me, please use the scheduling page on this blog or send me an email.</div>
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This week, Lesley Dewar, a grade one teacher at Eastbrook Elementary is our Guest Blogger. If you would like more information about what she is doing please send her an email! If you would like to work with me, let me know: </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">Hi, my name is
Lesley Dewar. </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">For those of you that
don’t know me, I wear many hats, most notably ATA treasurer and grade one
teacher at Eastbrook Elementary.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">Those
of you that have worked with me know that I love technology and I love using
technology with my grade ones.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">I often find myself telling my students about
how computers weren’t invented when I was their age and that I didn’t have a
cell phone until I was an adult, which usually is greeted with a blank
stare.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">I guess this generation of kids
can’t imagine a world without technology, and to be quite frank, I don’t think
I can remember how I functioned as an adult without it.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">I am a huge believer that kids need to learn
digital citizenship as soon as they can, as most of them have access to this
and can be used as a great teaching tool.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">I don’t avoid technology with grade ones, I try to embrace it,
incorporate it and use it to enrich our lives.</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lately,
I have been working on a book blog. I
used Google to set up a blogger website and have set the permissions to enable
it to be only viewed by myself and invited others. The blog runs much like a website. At Eastbrook, we have a special “student of
the week”, in my room, I let this student choose a book and read it to the
class. When they have practiced enough,
I will record them reading their book to the class. I have already asked permission from parents
to “publish” the readings and I use my Google blog to do just that. Each week I publish the reading onto the blog
and we have a movie screening in class of the books. I assign directors, sound technicians and
crew. It has developed into a small idea
that I hoped would build self-esteem and promote literacy into something that
ranges across many topics and has provided pivotal and powerful conversations
within the class. I am hoping that
another teacher will be interested in joining me, and that I can share our
class book blog with another class both inside and out with the division. I am hoping that we can share book blogs, and
perhaps meet online. Here is a recent
picture of my book blog:</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another technological venture that I am
working towards is the world of Twitter.
As you may or may not know, up until recently Grasslands had blocked
Twitter. It is now open to use. I have a Twitter account set up and have been
talking about internet safety with my students.
Twitter is an amazing way to connect with the world and get real time
information. The next step in my plan is
to set up a classroom board for our tweets.
I intend to give my students a paper with space for 160 characters,
where a few times a week we will think and write some things we would like to
Tweet. As a class, we will review them
and Tweet a few. I am hoping to get this
up and running in the next few days. If
you would like to follow us, our Twitter handle is @MsDewarsClass</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-32058259807192363882015-03-06T12:21:00.000-07:002015-03-06T15:34:01.355-07:00Some Resources<h3>
Chromebooks and Google Apps for Education in Div I/II</h3>
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Over the past few weeks, I have had a number of requests for resources for Division I and II classrooms. I have spoken to many of you about doing collaborative writing projects or peer editing projects. As well, we have discussed the idea that using Google Apps for Education and Chromebooks in a Division I and II classroom can be focused on helping the students build a digital skill base, just as we would have them build a literacy or numeracy skill base. </div>
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I had the opportunity to hear a great teacher from Wolf Creek School Division describe how she uses the tools in her classroom. Kendall Johnson gave a presentation at a recent Google Apps for Education summit in Edmonton. She discussed a variety of ways to use the tools with younger students. As we couldn't all be there, I've included a web link to her presentation: <a href="http://goo.gl/KZ67Zq">goo.gl/KZ67Zq</a>. If you have any questions about the information in the presentation you can definitely contact me. Or, you can contact Kendall directly. Her contact information is in her presentation.</div>
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Tech Tuesday </h3>
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A common concern I hear from teachers is about having the time to learn how to use the tools we have accessible to us. We are all very busy and finding the time during our day can be difficult. When I spoke with Shawn Lachapelle from Brooks Junior High about the issue, he suggested we hold a Tech Tuesday for teachers. The event will be an opportunity for all of us to learn together and share some of the things we are doing in classrooms across the division. We are still working out the overall agenda for the meeting, but, I can tell you it will take place at Brooks Junior High on April 21. The exact time will be determined shortly and I will send out an email to let you know the firm details. For now, please save the date and look forward to a great sharing and learning session!<br />
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Guest Blog</h3>
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Last week, I sent out a request for guest bloggers to share their stories in this space. Jeff Mason from BCHS shared is thoughts and use of Google Classroom last week. This week, Boni Levie shares her thoughts and ideas of using Chromebooks in her grade one classroom. If you want to share the great things you are doing in your classroom, please send me an email. I would really like to include your stories. They do not have to be related to technology in the classroom. If you would like to read the rest of Boni's blog, you can find it here: <a href="http://bonidiv1.blogspot.ca/">http://bonidiv1.blogspot.ca/</a></div>
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Diving off a cliff</h3>
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Working with grade ones has proven to be challenging and highly rewarding using google. Yes all 19 can log onto Google Drive and then onto the Grade One google site (I have created for their use). I needed to create a platform where images could be clicked to guide students to multiple sites during any computer session (no typing of addresses). Computers are now apart of every subject area. Not just during a 30 or 40 minute class once a week. Chrome books are very dependable and do not have the time lags or complex sign in routines. For literacy, I am using the Daily 5 format for instruction. The chrome books are used during reading to self ( they can access RAZ kids site), for writing to self (Google Docs) and for phonetic work ( Starfall site). For Mathematics, they can access ICT games, IXL practice questions, NCTM apps for numeracy and the list goes on.<br />
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Logging on was the first hurdle in November was : How do you get kids to type out a 9 to 16 long string of letters when they may not even know their letters? Well....lots of practice!!! The first time took 1 hour and the second time took 30 min. Progress! For those wanting to know what it looked like... I made each child a card with their email and password on it. I highlighted one pink and one green so I could direct them to a color of text to type during directions. I could control the passwords and made it simple (bugXXXX). The X represents a 4 number combination I know).<br />
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Wow! they sure learned to match and check quickly.. Lots of motivation and their letter recognition increased due to the additional motivation to start the fun part sooner.<br />
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Once trained as a large group... all the kid can now do it themselves during centre time! Yahooo!<br />
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More later</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-10628993785917463512015-02-27T10:11:00.000-07:002015-02-27T10:16:38.371-07:00The Changing LandscapeAs teachers, we have an opportunity to change the landscape. The work we do with students has such an important impact. The students we have in our classroom live in a world much different from when many (maybe most) of us went to school. They deal with many of the same issues as students have for many years. However, their reality includes a number of problems that never existed when we were students. In addition, our students have access to more information than many of us ever did. Their ability to access that information is increasing as well. As such, I would suggest it is our responsibility to help our students beyond delivering curriculum. We need to work with our students on developing critical thinking skills and help them wade through the digital world in a responsible, effective way.<br />
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We have a wide array of tools at our disposal to assist with this process. I know many of our teachers are utilizing these tools and many more would like to learn more about how to use the tools. I have heard from many teachers over the past two weeks through<a href="https://docs.google.com/a/grasslands.ab.ca/forms/d/1TlqkrJ6rf_1qFr389MYS14DF5hJQbdiFgxBAQ1FBgCs/viewform"> this survey</a> they would like more training and time to learn how to utilize some of the tools we have available. I am here to assist with this process. I had the distinct pleasure of working with teachers at Brooks Junior High, Brooks Composite High School, and Griffin Park School this week. We discussed ways in which the tools could be used in their classrooms. In addition, I was able to go outside my comfort zone and teach Grade 3, 4, and 5 students how to use the tools. The excitement they had was really energizing. But, the tools cannot just be toys - the learning is the most important part. The students and I discussed how they could collaborate with each other, their teachers and students in other schools. They spoke about how they could learn more from other people. They were very excited, so were the teachers.<br />
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I also wanted an opportunity to share with you, in the voices of the teachers, things they are doing in their classrooms. Jeff Mason, a Social Studies teacher at Brooks Composite, agreed to share some of the things he is doing. I hope that our guest column becomes a regular part of this blog. If you want to share some of the things you are doing in your classroom, whether they are technology related or not, please send me an email. </div>
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Guest Contributor: Mr. Jeff Mason</h3>
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Hello everyone, my name is Jeff Mason and I teach high
school social studies at the Brooks Composite High School. Sean asked me to share a little about what I
am doing in my classroom. I thought I’d use the opportunity to discuss how I
use <i><u>Google Classroom</u></i> in my
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<i><u>Google Classroom </u></i>is
an app you can use with your Google account. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I find <i><u>Google
Classroom </u></i>particularly helpful for my classes. The app essentially acts
like a private Facebook stream for your class. You can easily post pictures,
videos, web links, or documents from your computer. (Similar to Moodle) You can
allow students to post and comment as well, or you can make it so that only you
can post. The class is completely secure, meaning others cannot get into the online
classroom if you do not allow it.</div>
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In the above picture you see a post I made for my 10-1
social class. We are learning about how language impacts identity and how
globalization impacts language. I posted a quick PowerPoint and a few web links
that we explored as a class. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You can also create assignments for students in <i><u>Google Classroom.</u></i> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p>This was an opening assignment I had my grade 10 class
complete. We went through some of the most important current events of the last
year at the beginning of the semester. They then had to write a paragraph
response on how one of the current events demonstrated that we live in a
globalized world. The assignment capabilities of <i><u>Google Classroom</u></i> is handy, as it keeps all the students work
neatly organized, reduces paper use, and allows me to provide feedback
digitally on the assignment. Google Documents save automatically as well, so
there is less chance of students losing their work from not saving. </div>
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I use <i><u>Google
Classroom</u></i> in a variety of ways in all of my classes. <span style="text-indent: -18pt;">It is great for “flipped classrooms” where I
post videos or websites with content and ask the students to learn content at
home and come to class prepared to have a discussion on the content. </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Almost daily we discuss current events in the
world. Any pictures, articles, or short video clips on the current events we
discuss are put on the stream so that students can revisit the information. </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Web quests are super easy to set up. For
example, I can link four websites on the Residential School system in Canada
and have the students explore the links and gather information from the sites.
(or I can have the students find the websites themselves and share with the
class). </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">I can have trivia competitions with the students
as they gather information. For example, I had students gather information
about the Rwandan Genocide online; I then posted questions about the genocide
on the stream. The students had a competition on who could find the correct
answer first. </span>There are other ways to utilize <i><u>Google Classroom</u></i>, however I worry that this post is too long
already. I encourage you all to explore this app when you have an opportunity.
It has certainly become a part of my classroom routine. </div>
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If you have any questions you can email me at <a href="mailto:jeff.mason@grasslands.ab.ca">jeff.mason@grasslands.ab.ca</a> or
follow my blog at <a href="http://stubbornlysocial.blogspot.ca/">http://stubbornlysocial.blogspot.ca/</a><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-75806578360049953482015-02-12T11:05:00.001-07:002015-02-12T11:05:33.164-07:00Google Apps for Education FeedbackOver the past five months, I have had the opportunity to present to all divisions and spend time in all schools. During that time, I've presented on the tools available through Google Apps for Education and have discussed ways in which we can foster student learning through Universal Design for Learning and differentiated instruction. I always say that we need to begin with the learning outcomes in mind and then map on technology or look at different ways to present information.<br />
<br />
I am interested in how the adoption of Google Apps for education is proceeding in different levels within the division. As such, I created a short survey using Google Forms. I would really appreciate if you could take a few moments to complete the survey. It is anonymous. The information collected in the survey will help me construct professional learning opportunities that reflect the needs of the division as a whole.<br />
<br />
Thank you very much for taking the time to complete the survey. If you have any questions about it, please do not hesitate to contact me.<br />
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Thanks!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/a/grasslands.ab.ca/forms/d/1TlqkrJ6rf_1qFr389MYS14DF5hJQbdiFgxBAQ1FBgCs/viewform?usp=send_form">Google Apps for Education Survey</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-32780066891259197352015-01-29T12:17:00.002-07:002015-01-29T12:18:19.382-07:00Differentiation and TechnologyOver the past few weeks, I have worked with a few teachers on utilizing technology as a means to differentiate instruction and assessment. As such, I thought it might be beneficial to spend some time on the overall concept of differentiation in my blog this week. I am certain you have seen much of this information before. However, I thought this might dovetail nicely with my last post on Effective Teaching and Learning.<br />
<br />
<h3>
What is Differentiated Instruction?</h3>
Most researchers agree, differentiation is:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>A process to approach teaching and learning for students of differing abilities in the same class.</li>
<li>A teaching theory based on the premise that instructional approaches should vary and be adapted in relation to individual and diverse students in classrooms.</li>
<li>Not reactive but a systematic, planned approach to meet the learning needs of a diverse classroom.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Generally, differentiation can occur in relation to content, process and products of a lesson. We can design delivery and assessment in a variety of ways to meet the unique needs of our learners. This includes using pre-assessment and ongoing assessment strategies to ensure the needs of our students are met. There is a large body of research to suggest that we need to maintain academic challenge for our students but that challenge needs to be at their academic level. If things are too easy or too difficult, the students will not be engaged. As such, when we systematically plan our instruction and consistently use data to drive our decision making, we will promote student learning. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
How Does Technology Play a Role?</h3>
<div>
I usually begin my sessions discussing technology integration by saying the primary goal is the learning, not the technology. However, technology we have available to us can play a significant role in differentiated instruction. For instance, we can use a wide array of technology applications to provide choice to students in completing assessments. When I taught full time, there were always assignments that were non-negotiable. As a Social Studies 30-1 teacher, all my students needed to write. However, there were assignments that they had choice on. In addition, even though I had non-negotiable assignments, having the students complete them using a Google Doc meant the feedback I gave and the revisions they completed were much easier to complete. Providing students with teacher notes becomes much easier through the use of a shared Google Drive Folder. Students have access to the notes so they do not need to spend the time copying them down. This frees them up to focus on the content of the lessons. This is a very simple way to look at the issue. What I would like you to take away from this is that we have the tools to make differentiation work for you and for your students. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you would like to work with me on how to utilize some of the tools we have in order to differentiate instruction or assessment, I would be happy to help. After all, we are all in this together and the ultimate goal is student learning. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Upcoming Visits</h3>
<div>
Between next week and the end of March, I will be visiting each one of your schools. I will generally be there at 8:30 and stay the entire day. I will be available to work one-to-one with you on planning lessons and assessments or visiting your classroom. It is entirely up to you. The week before I visit, you will receive an email from your administration as a reminder about my visit. If you would like to book time to meet with me, please let me know. If you have any questions about these visits, do not hesitate to ask. I am looking forward to spending time with you and your students in your schools!</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">School</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Date</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Alcoma</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Wednesday, March 18</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bassano</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Wednesday Feb 25</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">BCHS</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tuesday, Feb 24</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">BJHS</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Monday, Feb 23</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Duchess</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tuesday, March 6</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Eastbrook</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Wednesday, Feb 11</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Gem</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thursday, March 5 (AM)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Griffin Park</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Monday, Feb 26</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rolling Hills</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Monday, March 9</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rosemary</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thursday, March 5 (PM)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tilley</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Monday, March 16</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Uplands</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thursday, Feb 5</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sunrise</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tuesday, Feb 3</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-16878611025903310062015-01-16T10:19:00.001-07:002015-01-16T10:20:06.399-07:00Effective Teaching and Learning<h2>
Effective Teaching</h2>
<div>
Have you ever walked into a classroom and just knew it was an effective room. I would bet we could all agree there is an "atmosphere" in a classroom that is highly effective. This month, administrators took time to discuss the qualities of effective teachers. They were presented with the following questions:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>What does it mean to be an effective/excellent teacher?</li>
<li>How do you know teachers are effective?</li>
<li>What measures do we have to know teachers are effective?</li>
<li>What is your vision for excellence in teaching and learning. </li>
</ol>
<div>
Administrators from all schools discussed the questions in small groups. Below is a summary of those discussions:</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h3>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-e7a2f3fb-f393-5857-929a-40be2962deb4"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">What does it mean to be an effective/excellent teacher?</span></span></h3>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-e7a2f3fb-f393-5857-929a-40be2962deb4"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
</span><br />
<ul><span id="docs-internal-guid-e7a2f3fb-f393-5857-929a-40be2962deb4">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Going beyond basic competencies.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lifelong learners</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Self-reflection and willingness to change/make changes to teaching practice</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Open and responsive to feedback from students and parents</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Student focused</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Establishes foundational relationships which enable growth</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Works as an activator rather than facilitator</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Asks a wide array of questions</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Invites feedback</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Utilizes differentiated instruction and assessment</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Works with the entire community as a resource </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Has a growth mindset</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teacher includes the students as part of a community of learners</span></span></li>
</span></ul>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-e7a2f3fb-f393-5857-929a-40be2962deb4">
</span></div>
<div>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do you know teachers are effective?</span></h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students feel capable and have a sense of agency</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students can identify the goals of lessons</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Positive relationships with students, parents, colleagues</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Direct observations and conversations with teachers, their colleagues, students and parents</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">What measures do we have to know our teachers are effective?</span></h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Classroom observations</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Conversations</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Student outcomes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Academic but also the student sense of their own agency, belonging, and competence</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students feel connected, capable, contributing and cared for</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clear link between assessment and planning</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students are passionate about being in the classroom</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is our vision for excellence in teaching and learning?</span></h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Excited/engaged student body</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Positive school cultures</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Positive relationships </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Classrooms as learning environments</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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Last night, new Grasslands teachers met for a sharing session at Central Office. We discussed the same questions. Interestingly, the same responses came up. There was a big focus on the development of positive relationships with the entire learning community (colleagues, students, parents, administrators, the greater community). In addition, there was a strong focus on the idea of connecting and collaborating. Below are links to two documents about teaching effectiveness that we discussed. I would also be very interested to know your thoughts. How would you define effective and excellent teaching? What is your vision for teaching and learning in your classroom? </div>
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Teaching Effectiveness Resources:</div>
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<a href="http://www.rug.nl/staff/b.p.m.creemers/paper_on_the_dynamic_model_at_sesi.pdf">http://www.rug.nl/staff/b.p.m.creemers/paper_on_the_dynamic_model_at_sesi.pdf</a></div>
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<a href="http://education.alberta.ca/media/1219318/teaching%20effectiveness-sharon%20friesen.pdf">http://education.alberta.ca/media/1219318/teaching%20effectiveness-sharon%20friesen.pdf</a></div>
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Google Drive Resources</h2>
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The last item I have for you this week is a link to some excellent Google Drive resources. It lists a number of learning activities you can do with Google Drive as well as some time saving tips you can use when you are in Drive. Our use of Google and Chrome Apps has skyrocketed over the past few months. This is great to see! I hope you are finding success with the tools in Drive. If you have any questions or need any help, please do not hesitate to ask. </div>
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<a href="http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/08/excellent-google-drive-resources-for.html?m=1">http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/08/excellent-google-drive-resources-for.html?m=1</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-54429793622334852352015-01-09T09:36:00.001-07:002015-01-09T09:37:29.103-07:00Happy New Year!Well, it is almost the end of the first week back. I hope you and your students have made it through relatively unscathed. I thought I would start off the New Year on the Learning and Innovation blog with some resources you can incorporate into your classroom. As well, there is an upcoming project and one conference which may be of interest to some of you. As always, if you would like more information or would like me to come work with you, please do not hesitate to contact me. Next week, I will share some updates on some of the really great things your colleagues are doing around the division.<br />
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Instagrok</h3>
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I have shared this website before but thought it warranted a second mention. It has been popping up on a number of different blogs I read. Instagrok (<a href="http://www.instagrok.com/">www.instagrok.com</a>) is a site where students can search any topic and create customizable concept maps. The concept maps can be scaled in difficulty to suit the needs of the students. As well, students can create their own concept maps and save their maps. I see a lot of use for this in all divisions and subject areas. The site creates maps that include text, images and videos. In addition, each subconcept that appears on the map is expandable. I spent quite a bit of time playing around with the site. I believe many of you would be able to integrate it directly into your lessons.</div>
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Chrome Apps Perfect for the Chrome Classroom</h3>
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With the integration of Google Drive across the division, there are many applications that are available to us and to our students. The apps increase the functionality of the tools we have available through Google Drive. </div>
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Holly Clark, a Google Certified trainer and Junior High Teacher from San Diego, has put together a list of Chrome Apps that help increase the functionality of Google Chrome. I had the opportunity to meet Holly in August while she presented at a conference in Calgary. She is an energetic, passionate teacher who has a great deal to share. She describes her favourite Chrome Apps on her blog which can be found here: <a href="http://hollyedtechdiva.sharedby.co/xY0LRR">http://hollyedtechdiva.sharedby.co/xY0LRR</a>. Holly is also very open to questions and is willing to help teachers integrate Google Apps for Education into their classroom. </div>
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Medicine Hat College/Grasslands Collaboration</h3>
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Earlier in the year, I wrote a blog post about VROC - Virtual Researchers on Call (<a href="http://www.vroc.ca/">www.vroc.ca</a>). This free service pairs teachers in all divisions in Grasslands with researchers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math who are willing to be virtual guest speakers in classrooms. As a humanities teacher, I thought it was unfortunate that this type of service did not exist for those of us outside the STEM environment. As such, I approached Medicine Hat College with the idea of creating a database of their instructors who would be interested in being virtual guest speakers on topics in the humanities. They agreed to engage in a pilot project with us. As a result, we are looking for teachers in grade 9 through 12 who would be willing to participate in a pilot. As a participant, you would gain access to Medicine Hat College professors with expertise in economics, literature, history, political science, and geography who would be willing to speak to your classes through either Skype or Google Hangouts. You would also help to come up with a list of possible topics that these professors may be asked to speak on. We would like to keep the initial pilot to grades 9 through 12 with the intention of expanding, should the pilot be successful. </div>
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If you are interested in acting as a participant in the pilot project, please contact me and I will provide you with more details.</div>
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Alberta Google Summit: March 2/3, Edmonton</h3>
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The Google in Education Alberta Summit is a high intensity two day event, which focuses on deploying, integrating, and using Google Apps for Education to promote student learning in K-12 schools. The program features both local and international Google Certified Teachers, Google Apps for Education Certified Trainers, practicing administrators and solution providers. </div>
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I attended the last summit in Calgary in August and was very impressed. I took a lot of useful information away from the conference. If you want to expand your knowledge and understanding of how to use Google Apps for Education or find innovative ways to utilize the tools in your classroom, this is a great opportunity. You can find more details here: ab.gafesummit.com.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-5441932417113746212014-12-19T09:51:00.001-07:002014-12-19T09:51:51.616-07:00Twas The Day Before Break<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 23.1437835693359px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well everyone, we made it! It is the last day before a much deserved and welcomed break. Not being in the classroom this year has made the approach to the holiday much different than in years past. Even though I taught High School kids, the excitement and anticipation of the break was no less than with Elementary students. While our office is decorated and we are all sharing in Christmas cheer, it is very different than having students excited for their break. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 23.1437835693359px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 23.1437835693359px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I want to take this final blog post to say thank you. Taking a new job is stressful. Moving away from family and friends to a new city is doubly stressful. However, you have made the transition very easy. You are welcoming and open and I appreciate working with you. I am looking forward to the New Year and all the possibilities it will bring. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 23.1437835693359px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 23.1437835693359px; white-space: pre-wrap;">But, I couldn't not post about something that I saw the other day that I think is really amazing.</span><br />
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The Google Story Challenge</h3>
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<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 23.1437835693359px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The link below will take you to a YouTube video about a National Story Challenge using Google Docs. It is a US challenge but holds a lot of value and interest for us here. Many school districts around Alberta, Canada, and North America are using Google Drive. I think it would be a very interesting activity to connect with these other schools to tell collaborative stories. In order to do so, we would need to partner with another district (or districts). If this is something that intrigues you, please let me know. We can begin working on the process in the New Year.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 23.1437835693359px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Google Story Challenge: </span><a class="url-ext" data-full-url="http://goo.gl/6nFJpw" href="http://t.co/jv4Jvg4Uaj" rel="url" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #2b7bb9; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 23.1437835693359px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">goo.gl/6nFJpw</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-17879651724962229302014-12-12T15:19:00.000-07:002014-12-12T15:19:08.160-07:00Using GAFE in Division I and IIMany times over the past few months, as I present around the district, I am asked how to use the tools in Google Apps for Education with students in upper and lower elementary grades. As such, I thought I would put together some thoughts about how you could use the tools to promote student engagement, collaboration and improve student outcomes.<br />
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Google Docs</h3>
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Obviously, the level at which you use the tools within Google Docs is going to vary quite a bit depending on the knowledge and skill level of the students you are working with. One idea that came to me via a colleague in Pembina Hills School Division is to use Google Docs to write pen pal letters. Teachers could create Google Docs for each one of the students and share them. The students could then do a number of things. They could draw, insert pictures, or type information about themselves to be shared with other students. The Google Doc could then be shared with other students in our district or with students in another district in the province. This would be a very straightforward task as teachers could share the entire folder of Google Docs with another teacher. That teacher would then have their students respond on the Google Docs. This could go back and forth as long as the teachers wish. There is no reason this activity could not be expanded to include a variety of items. You could conduct science experiments and share your findings with other classes. You could include math problems and find out how many different ways students could represent the problem. </div>
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Google Slides</h3>
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The concept of sharing information is not just limited to Google Docs. There are a number of applications of this in Google Slides. Students from one class or school could find create a pictorial story board in Google Slides. They could then share the slides with other students who could write the text for the story and include more pictures. Again, this activity can go back and forth between students for quite some time. </div>
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Google Forms</h3>
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I really like the possibilities that Google Forms has for students in all grades. You can create very simple, straightforward surveys that can be easily shared throughout our district, the province and around the world. Last week I shared the example from a colleague in Illinois. The student created a two question survey about favourite foods. This concept could be developed so students were using Google Forms to give constructive feedback to each other about stories they wrote or presentations they completed. The beauty is, the feedback can be designed to be very straightforward so early elementary students could use the forms. </div>
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Google Sites</h3>
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Many times we have students create posters to represent their understanding of topics we cover in class. Using Google Sites with students provides a digital alternative to the poster. They can created media rich websites with links, images, videos and texts to help them represent their understanding of topics you cover in all subject areas. This is also a very straightforward way for them to begin the process of blogging and reflecting upon their learning, while you control who is able to view the sites.<br />
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Evolution Not Revolution</h3>
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In all the presentations I give around the district, I really try to emphasize that technology is not going to revolutionize education. It will help it to evolve and it definitely has the capacity to redefine what we do in the classroom. However, in order for it to have any kind of positive impact and engage students in a meaningful way, we need to first focus on the learning outcomes. </div>
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As always, if you want to book time with me so I can help you or your students, please send me an email or use the booking form on the Contact Me page.</div>
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Thanks for reading,</div>
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Sean</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-47556265056454004402014-11-28T14:57:00.002-07:002014-11-28T16:19:34.816-07:00Success with Google Drive and Google Apps for EducationThis week, I thought it would be important to address some questions I have had from many of you about using Google Apps for Education and Google Drive. When I present for groups of teachers, I usually have the same reaction: "This is a lot of information!!" Which is absolutely true. When I show up at a school, I try to present to everyone in the room, which means presenting to those people who have never used Google Drive or cloud computing to those who use it daily. As such, often people are left somewhat overwhelmed. In an effort to reduce some of the anxiety or confusion around Google Drive and Google Apps for Education, I wanted to pass along this advice: Keep It Simple.<br />
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Google Apps for Education is packed with a wide array of tools that are effective at promoting teaching and learning in a variety of ways. But, it takes time to get used to using them in the classroom. As such, I think if we can keep things simple for ourselves and become comfortable, we can then add other pieces to the puzzle. To be simple I have the following suggestions:</div>
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<li>Set up folders in your Google Drive to share with the students in your class. I would create a folder for each one of the classes you teach. </li>
<li>Share the folder with the students you teach and give them permission only to view the folder. That way, they cannot delete or modify any of the documents you put in there.</li>
<li>Put documents you want your students to have in this folder. That could include presentations, copies of teacher notes, handouts, etc. This will benefit the students who have an identified need to have copies of these materials. It will benefit all of the students because they will always have access to this material, which fosters their learning. You can create a shareable URL for the folder by following the instructions below.</li>
<li>The last thing to do is have each one of your students create a folder on their drive for your class and share it with you. They can put completed assignments in there so you have access to edit them and mark them online.</li>
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I really think if you do the above steps, it will streamline what you are doing in the classroom. It will make it easier for you to hand out materials to your students and it will be easy for them to keep track of it. As well, if they use their folder they shared with you to hand things in, it will help keep them organized.<br />
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Once you have done this for a while, we can talk about some other steps you can take to harness the power of Google Apps for Education. If you would like me to work with you on those steps now, let me know. Also, I would be happy to come help get your students all set up with their drive.<br />
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Thanks for taking a few minutes to read! Have a great weekend!<br />
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SeanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-32870554586491923002014-11-21T13:00:00.001-07:002014-11-21T13:01:38.354-07:00Conference ReflectionsThis past week, I spent a few days with technology leaders at the Alberta Technology Leaders in Education conference. This conference brings together people who represent technology vendors, IT departments and Ed Tech departments. It was very eye opening and I want to share some of the things I learned.<br />
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To the Cloud or not To the Cloud?</h3>
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I participated in a panel discussion while at the ATLE conference. On the panel were representatives from Edmonton Public Schools, Edmonton Catholic Schools, Wolf Creek Schools, Microsoft and the Alberta Education Technology Branch. The purpose of the discussion was to discuss privacy and security concerns relative to cloud computing. It needs to be pointed out that districts are not questioning whether they should utilize cloud computing such as Google Drive or other options. The answer to that question is yes. Districts across Alberta and around North America are making the switch to cloud computing. With that comes some concerns about privacy and security. </div>
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At this point, Alberta Education does not have a policy related to cloud storage of information. They are in the process of working on one. Therefore, it is up to individual districts to establish policies that make sense for them. In the absence of those policies, it is up to us as professionals to be mindful of what we store in the cloud. It is important that we are always careful, no matter what platform we use, that we protect student data. That is the message coming from all of the experts. We need to use good professional judgement when we share information either in the cloud or through email so as to maintain the safety of our students and their information.</div>
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I am certain more will come out regarding this issue. As the Alberta government and the ATA work on these issues, we will receive more information. In addition, Grasslands administration is discussing these issues. At this point, our good professional judgement needs to be used as we work with our students on appropriate digital citizenship.<br />
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Accelerating Learning for Struggling Readers</h3>
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The link below is for a fantastic presentation given by Nicole Lakusta, who is a fantastic educator from Parkland School District. In her presentation she discusses some issues faced by students who are struggling to read. While the main orientation of the presentation is around Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) environments, she does present some very interesting apps that can be used in the classroom to help students who are struggling. Take a look and let me know what you think.</div>
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Presentation Link: <a href="http://t.co/kx1fipXlwc">http://t.co/kx1fipXlwc</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Aurasma</span></h3>
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At first, I saw <a href="http://www.aurasma.com/#/get-the-app">Aurasma </a>as something interesting but without a lot of application. Until I started to play with it a little more. <a href="http://www.aurasma.com/#/get-the-app">Aurasma </a>is an augmented reality app that is supported by both iOS and Android. When you download the app to a smart phone or a tablet, and point it at an image that has an "aura" attached to it, you will experience augmented reality through the app. </div>
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While this is very "neat" there is an educational application. Students can make Auras. They could use images of famous people or places and create a short video about the person or place. If other student have the app and point it at the picture, the video will play. I see this is a very unique way for students to share their learning with others as well as to creatively approach how they represent their learning.<br />
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Final Thoughts for the Week</h3>
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One of my favourite things to do in the division is work with students and teachers. I had the opportunity this week again to get out into schools and work with PLC groups and classes. I am very happy to do this. If you would like me to come visit your classroom and help get your students set up using Google Drive, please let me know. In addition, if you would like me to come help you or your PLC group, I would be happy to come by, sometimes I even bring treats!</div>
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Have a great weekend everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read,</div>
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Sean</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-28452738683678523622014-11-14T09:43:00.003-07:002014-11-14T09:46:18.451-07:00Reflections from PD<div style="height: 0px;">
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Collaboration through Google Docs</h3>
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Last Friday, I presented to Senior High and Junior High teachers on using Google Drive and other Google Apps for Education (GAFE) resources in classrooms. We discussed the collaborative capacity of these apps within our classrooms and discussed various ways they could be used. We created a collaborative Google Doc where participants were asked to respond to the following question: What are some ways GAFE could be used to promote innovative teaching and learning in Grasslands Schools? I thought I would share some of the responses from your colleagues to this question.</div>
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<b>"Google Apps for Education allow teachers to easily provide students with feedback on written assignments to promote formative writing assessment."</b></blockquote>
Using a collaborative process through GAFE tools can definitely promote increased formative assessment with students. I also think we could expand the meaning of written assignments here outside of the Language Arts and Social Studies classrooms. Science, math, and art teachers could all utilize the collaborative capacity of GAFE to create feedback loops with their students. To me, this is one of the most powerful aspects of the tools we have available to us.<br />
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<b>"Google Apps for Education makes learning activities available to students at all times, almost anywhere. Students who are absent from school will have the opportunity to keep up to date with classroom activities."</b></blockquote>
This is another powerful aspect GAFE offers to teachers and students. The creation of websites, shared Google folders or the use of Google Classroom all enable teachers and students to stay in communication with each other. These tools definitely can help students stay on top of their work whether they are in the classroom or not. As long as students have an internet connected device, they can obtain the materials they need.<br />
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<b>"The possibilities of what we have access to now are amazing and at times overwhelming, but one question remains: How can we embrace the use of technology within the class when the tendency of students is to allow the technology to think for them? We need to encourage students to think, but some tend to allow their technology to do it for them, with limited results."</b></blockquote>
This comment resonated very strongly with me. While GAFE do enable teachers to provide students with all the materials they require, they do not replace good teaching practice. The commenter above highlights this fact - we must help our students understand how technology can play a role in their learning. Technology tools such as GAFE will not be effective in the absence of good teaching practice. There is definitely no single answer or magic bullet in education. However, if we base our use of technology on good pedagogy, we can definitely help our students progress and achieve. <br />
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Cross Curricular Competencies + Three Es + Program of Studies =</h3>
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Over the past few weeks, I've been able to have many conversations with teachers and administrators about the Cross Curricular Competencies, the Three Es of Inspiring Education and different Programs of Study. During PD, I made the comment that some of the most innovative and high performing schools have taken these three components and intentionally planned to teach and assess them. This takes time to achieve, but the benefit for students can be seen in their academic growth. Students who know how to think, solve complex problems, communicate effectively and work well both alone and in group settings will do well in many pursuits. The more we can look at our Program of Studies as the vehicle by which we can develop the cross curricular competencies and the elements of Inspiring Education, the more successful our students will be both inside and outside our classrooms.<br />
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Problem/Project Based Learning</h3>
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Many teachers attended a session put on by Vicki Glass about Problem/Project Based Learning during our PD day last Friday. PBL can be a powerful tool in our teaching toolbox. I was very fortunate to visit Michael Strembitsky School in Edmonton a few weeks ago where PBL is a cornerstone of their teaching practice. They work collaboratively across curricula to provide opportunities for students to solve complex problems. Two things resonated for me after attending the sessions at MSS. First, PBL was not the only way material was taught. Teachers recognized that some material needed to be taught through direct instruction. In addition, students needed to be taught how to solve problems and put together their project presentations. Students were not left to discover these components on their own. Second, the projects students completed on were not "dessert." They were not done after all of the content of the unit were taught. Projects are the way the objectives of the programs of study are taught. Teachers work together to plan projects which incorporate elements of the Cross Curricular Competencies, Inspiring Education and their program of studies. When students complete their projects, they invite parents, community members and school division leaders in to see what they have done. This helps develop a wide audience for the students. </div>
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This process is not a quick one. It takes time and planning. However, the testimonials from the students and teachers at MSS speak for themselves: this is a powerful way to promote student engagement and academic achievement. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-23615323847271233692014-10-31T14:41:00.001-06:002014-10-31T16:32:06.984-06:00Last week of OctoberHappy Halloween everyone! There are so many amazing things going on in the division. I am very pleased to be able to share some of them with you again this week. As always, if any of this is of interest to you or if you have any questions, please contact me. You can find all of my contact information on the Contact Me page of this blog. If you would like to schedule me to come to your school and work with you, please either complete the scheduling form on the Contact Me page or email me.<br />
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Thanks!<br />
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Radio Plays</h3>
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This week, I had the good fortune of visiting Bassano school to help out with some Halloween Radio Plays. It was great to hear the scary stories that students put together for their plays. I found it very interesting that we used a high tech format to put together a very old form of entertainment. </div>
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The students spent time before I arrived writing and rehearsing their radio plays. We then recorded the plays. For our purposes, we used Garage Band on a MacBook as that is what was available. However, the recording of the plays could be done using Audacity. The next step was to save the projects as MP3 files so they can be shared. </div>
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I will visit Bassano again as the students finish recording their plays. The final step will be to post the recordings online for parents to be able to access. This is a great way to share both student writing and student creativity. In addition, it is a great way to let parents hear what you are doing in your classroom. </div>
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Sharing the Stories</h3>
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Earlier this week, I was able to visit a part of Alberta I had never seen before. I made a trip out to Gem to help the teachers there share the stories of the community. As I drove out to Gem from Brooks, I thought about how the landscape had changed over time and how it remained the same. I wondered if the landscape looks very similar to what it looked like 80 years ago. This is the story the teachers in Gem would like to tell. They want to use photography with their students to enable the telling of local stories. They are going to use Google Drive and Google Docs to have students take pictures of their area and begin writing and sharing their story. Using the technology available will enable the teachers and the students to collaborate and begin to create both a written and pictorial narrative of the area. </div>
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We all have a story to tell, whether it is one of rural farming or city life. Using the tools we have available to us, we can help our students and families within Grasslands schools share their stories. </div>
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MHC Collaboration</h3>
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On Tuesday I attended a meeting with Terry Chapman, Dean of Arts and Education at Medicine Hat College. At this meeting we discussed the concept of accessing expert knowledge at Medicine Hat College for classrooms at Grasslands Schools. In an earlier post, I wrote about VROC (Virtual Researchers on Call). This organization connects K-12 teachers with experts in science, technology, engineering, and math. To my knowledge, nothing like this exists for humanities teachers. Therefore, collaborating with Medicine Hat College to establish a database of experts in the social sciences and business fields may be very helpful to Grasslands teachers. In the meeting, Dr. Chapman asked me what topics I thought might be important to our teachers. So, I pose this out to all of you. If you had the ability to ask experts in history, business, literature, political science, or geography questions, what would they be? Are there topics that you would like experts to speak with your students about? </div>
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Our discussions with Medicine Hat College are in the preliminary stages but it would be very helpful to have the thoughts of Grasslands teachers. If you have a minute, I would really appreciate hearing from you.</div>
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Chrome Classroom</h3>
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This is a project that is about to begin with 10 teachers in the division. They are going to pilot 1:1 teaching and learning using Chromebooks in their classrooms. The cohort of teachers will participate in professional development related to 1:1 pedagogy. <span style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The aim of the project is twofold. First, teachers who participate in the project will improve their own understanding of emerging technologies and innovative teaching. learning and assessment practices. Second, the teachers participating in the project will act as innovation leaders within their own schools, providing learning opportunities and sharing with their colleagues. This is an ambitious project for the division. We are looking forward to working with the cohort of teachers in moving this project forward. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-38295322428948116242014-10-24T15:15:00.001-06:002014-11-20T11:26:52.050-07:00What's Up This Week<h3>
Google Docs with Students</h3>
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This past week, I spent time with two different groups of students in Alcoma and Brooks Composite High School working with Google Docs. We began by logging in and setting up their drive. We talked about the utility of the drive and how it could help keep them organized and remove the need for an external drive. That was the straightforward part of the presentation. The piece that really got them excited was the collaborative nature of Google Docs. I created a Google Doc and shared it with two students in the room and my wife, who was working from her office in Brooks. The students were all amazed at how quickly ideas could be share. They got a kick out of seeing their comments appear on the document. As well, they were equally as impressed seeing the comments my wife made.</div>
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While it was a lot of fun, we also discussed how the share feature could be used to foster greater collaboration between members of the same class, different schools and students in different countries. In addition, we spoke about the ways teachers could use Google DOcs to provide students with feedback to promote their understanding. It was great to work with the students and see how excited they were about collaborating with each other. </div>
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Sites and Stuff</h3>
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I am often asked for websites or apps that teachers can use in their classrooms. As such, I thought I would draw your attention to a few that I think are both interesting and have great utility for your classrooms:</div>
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<li><a href="http://rw.texthelp.com/drive/Support/Home">Read and Write for Google</a>: This web based App provides premium features free for teachers. It is one of the better text to speech apps that I have come across. In addition, the premium features give you speech input for Google Docs. If you have students in your class who experience difficulty and may benefit from a text to speech app this is definitely a good one to try.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.vroc.ca/">Virtual Researchers on Call</a>: I have written about this site previously but am so impressed by it I thought it could use another mention here. VROC is a site which is free for teachers in Grasslands Public Schools. It is a database collection of experts in science, technology, engineering and math. Once you sign up and receive a log in from VROC, you will have access to their experts. You can take a look at recorded presentations, invite an expert into your class, or sign your class up for a STEM mentor. In addition, the Partners in Research component hosts live events with STEM professionals. Teachers and students can join the live stream presentation and Tweet their questions. This offers teachers a very quick way to bring experts into their classes.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.instagrok.com/">Inst<span id="goog_3731741"></span><span id="goog_3731742"></span>agrok</a>: This is one that came across my desk earlier this week. It is a very powerful tool to create dynamic graphic organizers with your students. You can input any search term into the search bar and Instagrok will create a web for you. All of the information on the web can then be expanded. You can increase the difficulty level of the web to provide you with more detailed search results. In addition, students can create their own webs and share them with other students. This is a site that offers a lot of possibilities for content in classrooms.</li>
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Connected Teaching and Learning</h3>
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Early in my teaching career, an administrator asked all of his staff: "are you a school teacher or a classroom teacher?" His goal was for all of us to see ourselves as connected to all students and to one another, not just as isolated practitioners only worried about ourselves and the students in our room. </div>
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The concept of connection has changed dramatically in the past few years. There is a wide variety of platforms which enable teachers to connect and collaborate. I already wrote about the collaborative power of Google Apps for Education. Today, I would like to share my thoughts about Twitter.</div>
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Twitter is an amazing resource for teachers. With Twitter, you have the capacity to develop an immense digital professional learning community. This means you can share and collaborate with and ask questions of thousands of teachers. For me, this resource has proven to be truly invaluable. There are so many ways to use Twitter for yourself and with students. I would be happy to meet with you and help set up a Twitter account. Below is a list to some Grasslands teachers who are already connected and on Twitter. I'm sure I've missed a few and, if I have, I apologize. If you are on Twitter and would like to add your name, either write a comment on this post or send me an email and I will update the list. Also, if you are on Twitter and would like to connect with other Grasslands teachers, please use the hashtag: #GPSD6. </div>
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Grasslands Teachers on Twitter:</div>
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Sean Beaton: <a href="https://twitter.com/backcountrynut">@backcountrynut</a></div>
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Vince Hill: <a href="https://twitter.com/vhill01">@vhill01 </a><br />
Nathan Hodgson: <a href="https://twitter.com/bassanobroncos">@BassanoBroncos</a><br />
Alicia Olson: <a href="https://twitter.com/ali_ciaolson">@ali_ciaolson</a><br />
Jeneen Armstrong: <a href="https://twitter.com/bassanojeneen">@bassanojeneen</a><br />
Tim Rodgers: <a href="https://twitter.com/tpsrodgers">@tpsrodgers</a><br />
Amanda McCrimmon: <a href="https://twitter.com/missmccrimm">@missMcCrimm</a><br />
Linda Andres: <a href="https://twitter.com/lindaandres1">@LindaAndres1</a><br />
Bassano School: <a href="https://twitter.com/bassanoschool">@BassanoSchool</a><br />
Marg Grosfield: <a href="https://twitter.com/marggrosfield">@MargGrosfield</a><br />
Shawn Lachapelle: <a href="https://twitter.com/lachapelles">@lachapelles</a><br />
Gord Bramfield: <a href="https://twitter.com/nodrogadog">@nodgroadog</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15844832835194136265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983860473970581838.post-37114957912074694842014-10-17T13:41:00.000-06:002014-10-24T15:17:15.569-06:00The First Few Weeks<h2>
What's Going On?</h2>
Over the past few weeks, I have thought about how best to share all the amazing things that are going on in Grasslands with all of you. At first, I thought a showcase website would be the best. You could all go to the website and see the things that your colleagues have done. However, because so many of the projects are on going, it will be a while before they are ready to be showcased. As a result, I thought it would be better to update you with a weekly blog. This way, I can let you all know about the things I am working on with teachers in the district and you can read about all the things going on. So, what follows is a description of some of the things I have had the good fortune of being involved with. If you would like more information about anything, please let me know! Rather than put this at the end of every piece, I will say it now: if you would like to work on any of these tasks in your classroom or your school, please do not hesitate to contact me.<br />
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Google Drive and Google Apps for Education</h3>
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The most common task I am asked to help out with is setting up Google Drive with teachers and students. At the most basic level, Google Drive is a hard drive in the "cloud." It allows users to save any document they wish. You can create folders and store items just as you would in any hard drive. The advantage with Google Drive is that you and your students have access to all items on Google Drive on any device that has an Internet connection. The other advantage is you and your students have unlimited storage on Drive. </div>
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That is the most basic level. But there is so much more that you can do with the tool. You have access to all of the Google Apps for education. This includes the capacity to create, edit, and share documents, spreadsheets, presentation, and websites. The opportunity for student collaboration and formative assessment are endless. For example, I worked with a group of teachers at BJHS who are going to use Google Drive and Google Docs to promote peer editing of written work. </div>
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Google Sites</h3>
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Effective communication is a key success factor for teachers. We need to effectively communicate with our students, their parents, and each other. One way to stay in touch with parents and keep them up to date is through a class web page. I have worked on setting up pages with teachers at Uplands School, Griffin Park School, and, in the near future, BCHS. Again, Google Apps for Education offers a straightforward tool to create these pages. </div>
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Google Sites is a quick way to create professional web pages that can be shared with your parents and students. You can link them to folders in your drive to provide parents and students access to assigned tasks, daily lessons, or materials for extra practice. You can include external links to web pages you would like your students to use. Again, the options are broad. I like the fact that using Google Sites is very straightforward. Much of the construction is through drag and drop. There is no need to know code to create the page. </div>
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Student Movie Making</h3>
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Providing students with multiple means to represent their understanding of topics you cover in class is a core aspect of differentiation. Making short movies with them is an excellent way for students to demonstrate what they know. I was invited to Alcoma School to work with a group of Junior High Students and their teacher on making short films. We are using Google Drive as a method of collecting images and video clips. We are discussing ideas about how camera angles, lighting, and music can help create theme and tell a story. This is a multi-step project that engages the students in a very different way. However, they seem to be really enjoying the process. Once we have completed some movies, I will be sure to share them with everyone. </div>
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Digital Art Portfolios</h3>
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One of the advantages of using Google Drive and Google Apps for Education is the capacity and ease with which you can create digital portfolios with your students. There is a great deal of research to suggest that creating digital portfolios which incorporate student reflection and promote visible learning, are of great value to student academic performance. </div>
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I am working with a teacher in Bassano to create digital portfolios in a high school art class. The first step in this project involved creating a folder for every student in the teacher's Google Drive, sharing the folders with the students, and having them upload digital copies of their work. The students were encouraged to take pictures of their work so they can be submitted to the drive. At this point, they are submitting everything.</div>
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The next step is to create blogs for all of the students so they can comment on their work and provide personal feedback about their art. This will be done in written format or in video format. The blogs will host pictures of the work and students will include their feedback. In addition, their classmates with offer some constructive feedback about the work that is created.</div>
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This project has huge potential for any class in any grade in any discipline across the division. Creating digital portfolios provides a visible artifact regarding growth over time. Students, parents, and teachers can all see how the student has grown in their learning journey. In addition, the portfolio can "travel" with the student from grade to grade. As well, many post-secondary schools ask to see portfolios of student work. There are many ways to utilize this tool within classrooms to promote improved student outcomes.</div>
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Google Classroom</h3>
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A new tool within the Google Apps for Education suite is Google Classroom. This is Google's version of a Learning Management System. While it does not have the same functionality as other systems like Blackboard or D2L, it does provide teachers with a free tool with which they can create a course shell. I am working with teachers in Rolling Hills and at BJHS on using Google Classroom. Teachers can link Google Classroom to their Drive so that they can "handout," collect, and "hand back" assigned tasks digitally. Students do not need to print any of the materials off if they do not want to. There are a number of advantages to this. First, a student cannot say they lost a handout. It is always available to them on any device connected to the Internet through Google Classroom. Second, you can provide the student with feedback on their work and encourage resubmission if necessary. Again, all digitally through Google Drive. </div>
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This is a very effective, straightforward tool you can use to help your students stay organized and up to date with what you are doing. </div>
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