This year marks my 14th year as an educator and also an evaluation year. I don’t know if you are like me, but often times I find that when I go to upload my evidence, I am scrolling through my camera roll, searching my laptop, and searching social media feeds for the picture I swear I remember taking. There had to be an easier way.

Don Sturm to the rescue. I came across his blog post about personalized hashtags and it was a game changer. You can find his blog post here: https://schoolscanbebetter.com/2019/02/05/personalized-hashtags/

Essentially, you create personalized hashtags on Twitter that corresponds to a component of the Danielson Framework. You would make the hashtag start with your last name then 2a or 4b (Ex. #Pitzer2a). I do recommend seeing if anyone else has posted to this hashtag first and if others are tweeting to that for whatever reason. Then you can change yours to be more personalized to you.

Since hashtags work as a file folder in a way, you or your evaluator then can click on that hashtag and see the evidence. All of it is timestamped and organized in one place. When it comes time to submit your evidence then, you can simply upload the link to that hashtag on Twitter. (For example: https://twitter.com/hashtag/ (include your hashtag without the # sign after that last backslash). Not only will you feel way more organized come time to submit your evidence, but you can also gain ongoing feedback throughout the year from any member of your PLC. 

I decided to take this one step further and create a Google Drawing HyperDoc. This would house all of the links to every component of the Danielson Framework. This way I share one link evaluator. I also chose to share it back in August. This way, they could provide me with feedback throughout the year too.

This was a complete game changer for me. No more trying to remember what folder I had saved something and/or what date I took that picture. Not to mention since I worked on this year round, before I knew it the domains were memorized! A big thank you to Don for this amazing idea!

To view my Evidence HyperDoc click on the image below:

When you get an email request from the superintendent that reads, cancel all of your appointments and meetings for the day and come to the district office at 11am….it is going to be a day. This is the message the curriculum department received today and it definitely threw us all for a loop. It turned out that word on the street was the Governor was going to close school for the next few weeks due to the spread of COVID-19. Our superintendent wanted us to be all hands on deck for the next three days should this go into effect. Best case scenario was a week of e-learning, then spring break, then back to school. Worst case scenario was longer but to come up with a plan that could transition into longer if needed. It was a lot to process.

Now it was go time. We determined since we were a Canvas school that this LMS (learning management system) would be our main source of communication. Teachers could utilize Google tools and/or Seesaw but everything had to be housed in Canvas. This would streamline communication for everyone. We knew that we would need to analyze where staff was with Canvas and also create video tutorials to support teachers that could be watched during PLC today. We also had directions that it was only to be reviewing and no introduction of new content was to occur.

For elementary it was determined there would be a choice board. Each grade level at each school would create a choice board where students were encouraged to complete at least one activity per row. PLC time would be a great time for teachers to begin filling out their choice boards and have the opportunity to see what other grade level teachers at other schools were doing too. Secondary would just need to make sure to have items located on Canvas for students to review.

Finally, we decided that we would be available at one of the schools from 1:30pm-4pm for teachers to come and get help and/or ask questions during PLC today.

PHEW! It was then dividing and conquering, typing up emails, creating templates, finding/creating examples, recording tutorials, and checking Canvas pages. I am so proud of how well we worked together to come up with a plan to best support teachers, students, and parents during this time. It also felt good to be recognized as someone who will be vital to helping and assisting our school community.

Tomorrow, we are continuing to reach out to other schools and members of our PLN for advice/resources, checking Canvas pages, coming up with what other video tutorials need to be created, thinking of how to communicate the plan out to families, and checking in with teachers who may need support. We got this!

HyperDocs are one of my favorite things to create! I had a learning appointment today with a teacher who wanted support in creating her own HyperDoc to support her students in the Poetry Genre. Three of my favorite things –> HyperDocs, Poetry, and Writing! I was able to curate resources for her and talk through those today. We discussed the importance of having digital and non-digital elements so students can interact with actual texts and face to face conversations. We talked about the types of ways to organize and have students immersed in the genre.  Some of those ideas were to watch, listen, learn, share, chat, play, and enrich their understanding.

Hyperdocs allow you to differentiate your instruction to meet the needs of all of your learners as they work at their own pace. According to Carrie Wilson, “Hyperdocs are transformative digital lesson delivery that shifts the focus from teacher led lecture to student driven inquiry based learning through exploration.” I discovered them when I was piloting 1:1 with Chromebooks and immediately was hooked. My design of these has changed throughout the years and I have found it interesting to look back on some of the first ones I created. While it is hard for me to put them out there, I think it is important to show that we all have to start somewhere. Sometimes you just need to jump in, try, make some mistakes, so you can learn from those mistakes and improve. Check out my HyperDocs here: https://padlet.com/spitzer/HyperDocsPitzer

I feel my favorite way to use HyperDocs has been to immerse students in a particular type of genre. This allows me to combine actuals texts and digital texts in order to offer a more balanced approach. It also allows students to continue their learning even when writing time comes to an end.

From an instructional leader standpoint, my favorite way to use HyperDocs is to house PD units or learning opportunities in a Google Drawing. These HyperDocs are a central hub for all of the presentations and resources needed. Teachers can then continuing their learning or return when and if they need it. We have found this to be beneficial when supporting teachers in new tech tools, on-going guided reading support, and writing instructional committees to name a few.

WeVideo is a phenomenal tool for video creation. It is web based so it can be use on any device. I currently work for a district that is 1:1 K-12 with Chromebooks so this was beyond exciting. The possibilities are endless with this tool and with the paid version you have access to an extensive media library, music, sound clips, and screencasting.

Currently in our district we have 180 seats that teachers can check out either for themselves or for their students. This is done by a code and then once the students have finalized their projects, we can give that code out to the next person in need. We offer a HyperDoc tutorial and/or teaching a model lesson to ensure teachers are comfortable with the tool. We have seen it used to analyze experiments, review/discuss books, flipped classroom videos, opinion writing pieces, morning announcements, STEAM project reflections, newcasts, and cooking demos just to name a few.

As coaches, we love the screen cast tool. You can record your screen and give a tutorial for students/teachers. I recently have been using it to recap Elementary Writing Instruction Committee meetings for teachers who were unable to attend. They can watch the summary and not feel left out when we meet again.

We have used with students as young as 2nd grade. While it looks different depending on the grade level, it is all about setting students up for success. We have found that having students make a practice video is a great start. We usually give them a checklist of about three things they have to try which allows them to explore the tool in a risk free environment.  The teachers is there to guide and support as needed but the project students are creating is just for fun! This way when it comes time to use WeVideo for a project, they can focus more on the content they are creating vs. the content AND learning a new piece of technology.

Here are some resources to explore if you are new to WeVideo:

https://www.wevideo.com/academy

https://www.wevideo.com/education-resources

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZaf5q7k27M02OSgLTkS4Zg/videos

Greenscreen with WeVideo

WeVideo Everyday

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of The Food Network.  Not only do I learn a ton about food but I LIVE for the competition shows. I can’t wait to see whose dish will come out on top and how will they accomplish what appears to be impossible. How in the world can you combine broccoli, cake, and wild boar into a dish that tastes good? I seriously don’t know how they do it.

Imagine my utter delight when at the #FutureReady conference in Indianapolis, my love of Food Network and education combined forces! Along with my fellow instructional coaches, we participated in an educational version of the TV show Chopped. We had digital baskets of mystery ingredients. Each basket had a content standard, must have ingredients, a digital pantry, and a speed bump.  The pantry was filled with digital tools and the speed bumps were scenarios that we might run into while coaching teachers.  We had to transform these ingredients into a lesson involving the 4C’s: communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. It was awesome! It got my brain thinking of how I could use this with teachers.

Thus the ChoppED Faculty Meeting was born. An elementary administrator had reached out to me about wanting a tech focused meeting and wondered if I would be interested in leading it. My opportunity had arrived to bring ChoppED to my district. I immediately begin brainstorming how to make this work. I wanted teachers to be able to do the following:

1.) Get hands on experience using a tech tool (I chose Google Slides)
2.) Collaborate with their grade level teams on something they could then immediately turn around and use in their classroom
3.) Have access to other grade level’s lesson ideas
4.) Realize that Googles Slides can be used for so much more than just presenting. It can be interactive and collaborative.
5.) Discuss how they could use this activity with students

I then set to work creating my Slide Deck and planning out the costume hook I could use too. 🙂

Once assigned a mystery basket of ingredients, teachers could click on their basket that was linked to their slide within the slide deck. I also created a slide with our pantry of tools. They had to use at least two items from the pantry.

I tried to select tools that weren’t necessarily device specific. I also included a wild card.  This item allowed teachers to chose the tool they wanted which would hopefully open the door for them to share their expertise in using it.

Each grade level then had a recipe card with the content standard, must have items (two pantry items of their choice and 1 non digital item I threw in), and a speed bump. I chose an ELA focus standard that was in the same strand across grade levels.  This way teachers could see the build within the standard. The speed bump were scenarios that teachers potentially encounter every day and ranged from limited devices in the classroom, last minute assemblies, the need for more digital citizenship practice, and exit tickets revealing a reteach was necessary.

Teachers then had 20 minutes to transform these ingredients into an experience for their students. I absolutely couldn’t WAIT! I used Twitter to incorporate a teaser hook and had my costume and props already for the big day.

It was an absolute blast. My favorite part was watching teachers collaborate together. They were accessing new tech tools, discussing how to best meet the needs of all learners, communicating with art/ESL/special educators, AND running to classrooms to get their supplies to actually create what they wanted their students to create. While teachers were mastering the art of transforming their ingredients, I was able to float around to different groups and share features of Google Slides in the moment. They could then turn around and immediately try it.

At the end of the 20 minutes, teachers were able to look at everyone else’s ideas and celebrate strengths! They also had 6 complete lesson plans that they could use and/or tweak to fit their grade level.  Finally we wrapped up with a great discussion on how they could use this Chopped activity with their students. Oh my goodness it was so much fun. Here is the link to my Slide Deck: http://bit.ly/2JO76DS

As I reflect on how it went, there are a few things I would tweak. I want to make sure to tighten up my introduction to the activity, make sure to highlight something from each grade level group, and encourage them to dig deeper in terms how how they could use this with students.  I also realized that I now have a great insight to strengths of the staff and ideas for how I can support them in moving forward with technology. A big shout out to the Future Ready conference for inspiring this activity!

It just goes to show that sometimes 20 minutes, a few tech tools, and a collaborative team is all you need to transform a good lesson into a great one!

I recently went on maternity leave from February-March. Since I am a piloting teacher with touchscreen Chromebooks, tech is embedded everywhere into my classroom. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t anxious, excited, and nervous to leave a long term sub with all of this technology.  I was so excited for students to show the sub all the amazing things they could do but anxious and nervous about how it would be managed.  The good news is my students had been using their devices 1:1 since the first day of school.  I knew in August I would be leaving around February, so I made sure to utilize the gradual release of responsibility model.  This allowed me to model using technology, provide guided instruction, and then independent time to show me what they had learned. It was this groundwork that showed students how the devices should be used as well as provide them with time to learn how to be mature digital citizens.

I learned a lot throughout this process and wanted to share tips and tricks to help you if you are 1:1 and in a similar situation as I was.

1.) Binder: I left a binder with everything in one place.  This included passwords to any and all websites, a brief explanation of how I use them, and guidelines that students should be able to follow.

2.) Consistency: I tried very hard not to introduce any brand new technology while I was gone.  This allowed me to let my sub know students who were experts in a particular program, device, or tech tool.  These students served as helpers, teachers, and or trouble shooters.  There is something to be said about exploration and allowing students to do this with new technology.  However, I felt that while I was gone, the sub would appreciate students having prior knowledge.  I feel this would depend on the level of tech

3.) Screencastify Videos: Before I left, I did record some videos using Screencastify.  This allows you to record your screen, just yourself and or both.  You can use it for free for up to 10 minutes of recording time.  It automatically saves to your Google Drive and then I can share it with my students.  If they needed help remembering how to use a tool or turn in assignments, this video was at their disposal.  While I realize not all leave for teachers is planned, making a few of these videos to have in your library is a great idea. If your leave is planned, you can create a video library.  This way a sub can play you teaching a mini lesson! Once these videos are made, you will have them forever.  You may even want to make some generic ones that could be watched if need be.

Check out these poetry mini lessons I had my sub play during our writer’s workshop.  She played one video each day!
Poetry Prewriting
Poetry Examples
Poetry Drafting
Poetry Revising & Editing

4.) Organization: Oh my goodness your tech must be organized and easy to follow.  In my situation, the long term sub was able to text/email me with any questions if there was a problem.  If you don’t have that option, I recommend making sure all things are published in your learning management system so students can access their assignments. I also recommend your learning management system be up to date and laid out in a way that anyone could follow.  My district uses Canvas, so it was vital for me to make sure modules, assignments etc. were published.  If it wasn’t published, students couldn’t view it and this caused a disruption in learning.  I twas because of this I plan publishing everything but set it up so students must complete one module and all of the assignments before moving on to the next module.

5.) Classroom Management: I left a Chromebook reflection sheet that students would have to fill out if they were breaking any of our expectations.  I also outlined acceptable use policy and basic guidelines for what students should be expected to do independently.  I placed this in my binder.  Our district also uses GoGuardian and this was an amazing tool.  It allows the teacher to see all the screens at once, push out messages and announcements, and give you a daily report of any and all websites visited.  I didn’t leave this log in information with my sub but as I become more familiar with this tool, I feel this would be a great things for subs to have access too.

6.) Let it go: This of course was and always seems to be one of the hardest things for teachers to do.  As I looked through assignments that students did while I was gone, I noticed it wasn’t quite up to my standards and or not completed in the way I thought they should have been.  I truly think this is because no one will ever replace the classroom teacher. No matter how wonderful your sub is, they aren’t exactly like you and their knowledge base or tolerance level or even philosophy may be different.   That’s ok.  There were some assignments that were a wash or didn’t go like I thought they would.  I took away a few things from this:
~~Even if an assignment was a failure, it didn’t mean the activity was a failure.  Students still were receiving practice and opportunities to utilize technology and enhance their learning.
~~Some of my rubrics and directions were unclear.  It made me re-evaluate rubrics, criteria, and steps students should take with a more reflective eye.  I also had stopped providing video directions rather suddenly.  Next year, I plan on gradually moving toward written directions.
~~Less is more. Some of the reasons why things didn’t go as planned, is students were overwhelmed and or there were too many steps to follow.  This allowed me to really reflect on making directions concise and more clear.

As educators, we all know that having subs is hard. I am however, so grateful for this experience.  It really allowed me to look at my tech from an outsiders prospective and be more reflective.  I can’t wait to apply these to my lessons for next year so having a sub in my room can be as seamless as possible!

What tips do you have for leaving technology for subs? Has anyone tried leaving a Substitute HyperDoc? I recently saw a teacher who created a HyperDoc for her students to work on throughout the entire day.  I would love to know what the management looks like and the content involved

When you have known for a couple of months that Matt Miller, author of Ditch that Textbook, will be presenting at your teacher’s in-service AND giving a keynote….this day can’t come soon enough! My school district had the pleasure of having Matt Miller visit our school district, and I’m still jazzed from this amazing day of PD. One of the things that I enjoyed the most was having the opportunity to select the sessions that were most interesting to me. It just goes to show, that like students, teachers want to feel that ownership in their own learning too.

The day started by making sure to get their early to meet this amazing author!

Next up an amazing keynote and a day of presentations.  The staff was able to choose one of Matt Miller’s sessions and then the rest of the day was spent learning from other teachers in our district.  I attended:
1.) Google Genius: Practical Google Activities to Use Tomorrow
2.) Real Tech Real Talk: Moving Beyond the Basics (I presented w/ my sister on Google                 Docs, Screencastify, Google Slides, HyperDocs, and Padlet.)
3.) SAMR Model & Blooms
4.) Power Up: Personalize Your Own PD

WOW! There were so many amazing things I learned I felt the need to Storify the day:
https://storify.com/StefaniePitzer/323learns-tech-summit-highlights

I left this teacher’s institute re-energized, pumped up, and in an amazing mood. It was positively refreshing to see teachers sharing their areas of expertise and learn new things at the same time. Not to mention meeting an author whose message is inspiring! I am hoping there can be more PD in our district like this and more opportunities for us to continue down the path of becoming connected educators.

I have now been using Canvas (our districts learning management system) since February of 2016.  When our pilot first started, it was toward the end of my school year.  Not only was I learning how to implement Chromebooks, but I was also navigating the waters of using an LMS as well as building effective content.  To say it was overwhelming would be an understatement.  However, I learned so very much and those failures allowed me so many reflective opportunities.

Despite failures using Canvas though, I am so glad I had the opportunity to start in the spring.  It was because of these failures, I felt I had a much better idea of how to start the school year off right.  I started at a much slower pace and created less complicated assignments.  I did this not because I felt the students couldn’t do it  but more so as a way for me to model proper use, functionality, and logistics first. I had students start in my reading course, since that is the content I am more comfortable with teaching.  I started with a discussion board with how students felt about reading.

I loved this way of introducing Canvas to my students.  They learned how to find the reading course on their dashboard and how to type in the text box.  It was a quick way to not only get to my know student’s reading life but to also have them practice using Canvas.  It also provided them the experience of using a discussion board.  We even had great face to face conversations about what makes a good posting and good reply.  Stressing a balance between face to face communication and using a device must be at the forefront.  Students need to learn how to manage this in order to better prepare them for life!

When it came to assignments in Canvas last year, I felt I was all over the board.  My first assignments were with Phonics.  I had students watch YouTube videos and go on digital scavenger hunts for phonics pattern words.  Then I wanted students to type those words into 3-4 sentences.  I remember thinking that since it was February my students would be able to do this no problem.  We were writing 3-4 pages in writing and working hard on forming paragraphs correctly.  What I didn’t consider was the typing component.  It is one things for students to write a sentence but typing that same sentence becomes a whole new ball game.  My first phonics assignments were also filled with multiple step directions that were overwhelming for my students because we had never done this type of work on a device before.  I had also typed out most of the directions.  After seeing my students struggle with this last year and seeing what their completed assignments looked like, I knew something had to change.  I wanted to avoid this stress and use the gradual release of responsibility model to prepare them for more difficult work.  I often think as teachers we assume students are so familiar with technology that they don’t need as much guidance.  While it is true they are more comfortable at their age then say we were, they still need the I do, we do, you do practice model.

Therefore I redesigned my phonics assignments to have video directions instead of typed ones.  Students have the opportunity to listen to me give them directions and then could refer back to this as many times as they needed.  To record these directions I use the record/upload media button (looks like a film strip).  **(Has anyone else had trouble with the sound when recording videos in Canvas?  I have found them to have very low sound quality.  This gets somewhat better using a headset with mic attachment but is there a better way?) ** 

Then I embedded the YouTube videos that focused on our phonics pattern of the week.  Instead of taking a point grade, I made the first assignment a complete vs. incomplete.  I had students record the words they found in their reader’s notebook and come up and show me their list.  I then had SpeedGrader opened and marked complete/incomplete.  I would record my observations in the comment box.  If a student struggled with directions, focus, handwriting, finding the correct words, etc. I could type that as a comment.  Students could then immediately see my feedback and hopefully use that to improve for the next assignment.  They also had a list of words they could use a resource during writer’s workshop.  I designed 3 phonics lessons in this way.  Once I felt students were mastering this, I added points to the process as well as a text box for students to type their list. The next step, I feel is having students use the words in a sentence or two.

What I learned in this process is video directions are a must!  This way as I am monitoring, assisting, and or working with smaller groups of students, the class has access to the directions at all times.  It allowed me the freedom to assist in other ways instead of just repeating directions.  I feel this helped my students become more comfortable with Canvas and digital learning.  It also held them more accountable for solving their own problem and become more independent thinkers.  The quality of the work was higher and students were more focused.  This was definitely a lesson in less is more and remembering the gradual release of responsibility model.

I am about to wrap up the first quarter of the 2016-2017 school year and I thought this would be a perfect time to reflect.  Since I was a pilot teacher last year for our districts 1:1 initiative with touchscreen Chromebooks, I was able to continue the pilot this school year.  This meant instead of receiving my devices in February, I would get to start the school year with them.  I was very excited knowing that while I was introducing students to the experience that is 2nd grade, I would be helping them learn how to safely use their device at the same time.

Before school started, I made log in cards for all of my students.  I have blogged about this before, but here is a picture of what they looked like last year:

I went through and made changes to what websites we would use and cleaned up the layout design as well.  I had them laminated and students store them in their pencil box for easy access.  The first week of school was spent going over expectations, signing the contract and learning how to get and put away our devices carefully.

I also made sure to communicate with families, that we would be documenting our 1:1 journey using the hashtag #2Pis1to1

Next up was to update passwords and learn how to log in using our Google log in.  Knowing from last year that this could be tricky, I modeled first on the SMART board, then I had a student do it on my computer so everyone could see, and then finally they went to their own device to try.  We set goals for ourselves in order to get faster and I really stressed typing with 2 hands on the key board.  I use the Whole Brain Teaching method and would award Super Improver points for students typing with two hands and for beating their previous log in times.

I must admit that this went much better than last year.  I think that is largely due to modeling more and giving them more time to practice.  The first several times students used the device, it was strictly to log in and log off.  Now it is a part of our morning routine.  Once students have completed their lunch count, they get their Chromebook and log on.  Their goal is to be logged in before they hear the music which signals them to clean up and meet on the carpet.

The new addition this year was headphones for each student.  Last year the Dunlap Grade School Parent’s Club graciously donated a class set of headphones that included a headset mic.  After much Pinterest-ing and brainstorming with other teachers, I ended up putting a label on each headphone that corresponds to their classroom number.  Then each headphone is placed in a bin and organized by tables.  This way the table captain can get the bin as needed and headphones are stored away with no one tripping over

The headphones have been a game changer in terms of each student having their own as well as each student being able to focus on their own work.  Last year anything that required sound made it hard to focus.  Each student would be in a different place and it was hard to get far enough away where you could focus on your own work.  I love how more focused and engaged students are because background noise has been eliminated!

The next thing I modeled for students is how to locate my classroom blog.  I had them all on the carpet and would give one direction.  Students then went to their device, followed that one direction then would come right back to the carpet.  Whenever we learn something new we go over directions in this fashion.  I had started doing this in March last year and it really helped us all stay on the same page as well as give me time to help individual students as needed.  I showed students the long way to find my blog by going through the Dunlap District webpage, then the Dunlap Grade School webpage.  We did the long way for several days.  After two days, I called on a student to tell the class what to click on.  After this was mastered, I then showed them the short cuts and how Google Chrome would start to notice websites they frequently visited.  I wanted them to know how to find it multiple ways so that if one way wasn’t working, they could problem solve on their own to find it another way.  It is important for me to mention that during all of this digital citizenship was stressed, modeled, practiced, and encouraged.  We want to be safe on the internet and do not want to get click happy.  We also learned how to be patient with internet connections, how to refresh, and steps to take if the internet wasn’t connecting correctly.

I then showed them how to navigate our Symbaloo page.  I have a Symbaloo that bookmarks several of the sites we will use throughout  the year.  I went over what each site was, how we will use it, and that some sites are closed for business until we can prove we are good digital citizens!  You can access our Symbaloo here: https://sososeussey.edublogs.org/1-fish-2-fish-seussville-tech-fish/    

While I do find value in students typing in a website in the search bar, I also want students to spend a majority of class time engaged in an activity.  I have found that with all of these websites in one place, students can not only access them in a timely fashion at school but then they are more than likely to use them at home as well.

Yep. Technology and I were meant to be friends! I think this pilot experience is ranking up there with one of the best learning experiences of my career as an educator.  I have learned so much, change my views/ideas, and become more familiar with Google tools (which as an iPhone/iPad girl, it was good for me to branch out!).  I’m so glad that even though initially I was bummed to not be piloting iPads, the powers that be, knew better.  It just goes to show even when you think you know, you really do have no idea. 🙂

That being said here are my new jams: Padlet, Screencastify, & video/audio directions in Canvas (my school district’s LMS)

Padlet
If you haven’t had a chance to check out padlet.com, I highly recommend it.  This website is like a giant bulletin board that is perfect for collaborating and sharing.  I first heard about this during a #ditchbook Twitter Chat.  During this chat, a Padlet was created where people were adding and sharing resources for other educators: http://padlet.com/mourakd/kg7szw5nerr9 I loved the idea of having a board to post and add to so I immediately went to the website. ANNND it’s free!  They do have a school option that is paid but I have found the free version to be just fine.

I decided to create a Padlet for my classroom and I then added links to our other Padlets.  Please check it out here: http://padlet.com/spitzer/SeussvilleWhoNotes I have especially loved using it to help enhance my student’s learning experience during our poetry and figurative language study. Here is a link from the Ditch that Textbook Blog that has wonderful ways to use Padlet in the classroom:  http://ditchthattextbook.com/2014/11/03/20-useful-ways-to-use-padlet-in-class-now/

Screencasitfy
I was introduced to this from our TOSA (teacher on special assignment) and then learned even more at a free webinar through SimpleK12.  This is a Chrome extension that will video record your screen.  You can either choose to just have your voice or your voice and a little webcam in the bottom of your recording.  This got me thinking about the idea of an in class flip that I had heard about at a conference last fall.  It is like flipping your classroom but instead of students watching the video at home, students can watch the video in class.

2 weeks ago, we started our poetry genre study and this was the first time all writer’s workshop activity was on a Google Doc.  I had every student share the doc with me and then I used Screencasitfy to go over their writing piece with them.  I highlighted words/sentences/phrases that I wanted them to go back and revise or edit.  I then added a comment with a link to their first video writing conference.  The next day, students were able to access their video and get right to work on their writing.  This allowed me to conference with 15 students.  I then had the rest of my class at my back table for more guided support in the writing process.  For the first time in a long time I felt I was able to reach each and every student during our writer’s workshop.  I was amazed by the amount of time this saved, how engaged my students were, and how helpful it was for them.  They can now watch the video at any time.  I am hooked and can’t wait to continue using this in the future.  The gears in my head are already turning for how I can use this with reading conferences too.

Video Directions in Canvas (LMS)
If you read my last post, you are probably aware that I’m trying to navigate the waters of an LMS.  Over the weekend I was going back through some of my notes from our webinar and I happened upon the option of inserting videos in assignments.  Then it clicked.  I could create a video providing students with directions that they would be able to watch and watch again if they needed help remembering. Yep.  This was happening.  I went ahead and created an assignment for students to learn and practice plurals that end in s and es.  I opted for the directions to be a video too so that students could see my excitement. 🙂 After recording the directions, I inserted YouTube videos that highlighted plurals.  Part of the directions were to watch the videos, and record plurals in their reader’s notebook at the same time.  They made two columns and separated the plurals by s and es.  When they were done watching all 4 of the videos, and had at least 10-15 plurals written, they were to show me their notebook.  Instead of having students submit something to grade later, I simply checked that they had completed the assignment. OH MY GOODNESS. GAME CHANGER.  I wish I would have done something like this at the very beginning of the pilot.  It went so smoothly and students were 100% engaged.  I walked around during their working time and offered support and guidance as needed. I cannot wait to use this again and even tweak it to make it better.

These tools are so simple yet have been game changers for my classroom.  Do you have any tech tools that have been game changers for you?