Ditch That Textbook: Novel HyperDocs

For those of you who might actually have been able to give your students books to read for their at-home learning, I'd like to introduce you to a great concept for teaching with them online; the HyperDoc.  If you have not become familiar with Matt Miller from Ditch that Textbook, he's got a plethora of amazing ways to use technology to engage students.  So even if HyperDocs for novels isn't what you need, by exploring his site, I'm sure you'll come away with at least one amazing idea.  

Here's a link to Matt's Novel HyperDocs post

Worksheets, Packets, Busywork, Oh My!

We keep hearing about worksheets and packets being sent to students for working at home.  

Read this great article from Kacey Bell of Shake Up Learning. Let's look at learning in a different way! Click on the link below to learn more! 

https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/stop-asking-how-to-put-a-worksheet-in-google-classroom-suls018/

CCSD Bright Spot: 5th Graders Create YouTube Style How-To Videos Using WeVideo

When Technology Teacher Jen Sevy from Fox Hollow Elementary kept hearing her 5th grade students explain how they learned to do things they weren't sure how to do she kept hearing the same answer: YouTube! Apparently, when students are at home and want to learn how to make slime or win at a video game, they look it up. 

This gave her the idea to have her students become the creators of YouTube style videos to teach each other how to do something to show their expertise in a creative way. Mrs. Sevy took advantage of some of our district's WeVideo licenses, and had students use the green-screen feature to make their videos come alive. Check out the video below to learn more and hear from students about the process: 

If you are a Cherry Creek teacher interested in learning more about bringing WeVideo to your classroom, Email Kris Edwards to get more information. 

Click on the links below to see some of the how-to videos created by Mrs. Sevy's students: 

 

How to Add, Subtract, Multiply, and Divide Integers

How to Draw a Cupcake

How to Shoot and Dribble a Basketball

CCSD Bright Spot: Hands-On Learning: Stop Motion Science

At Smoky Hill High School, Biology teacher Shannon Burbano is helping her

Biology students solidify connections to content by using a hands-on approach to learning.

Instead of just reading about the phases of the cell cycle, Shannon asked her students to create stop-motion videos to show the phases. The energy in the room during this project was infectious. Students were focused and excited about learning, and were eager to share not only what they learned, but how much they enjoyed the option of learning through doing, not just reading, about scientific concepts. 

Students used modeling clay to create the cells, then took pictures with their class Chromebooks and a Chrome App called Stop Motion Animator. The completed videos were uploaded to Google Drive, where students could turn them in via Schoology. Watch the video below to hear more about this project!

If you are interested in learning more about using Stop Motion Animator, click here to view a YouTube video that will teach you, step-by-step, how to use this Chrome App. 

CCSD Bright Spot: Breakout EDU: Student Edition

https://www.smore.com/jd23x-breakout-edu-digital

Many of us are familiar by now with Breakout EDU.  If you aren't, check out the Bright Spots about Breakout EDU in the elementary classroom and in a high school journalism class.

Traditionally, teachers find Breakouts or create their own and present them to students to help them learn about a topic before a unit starts, to reinforce information learned, or as a team-building activity, to name a few. But how about having students create Breakouts for their peers? 

http://www.coolcatteacher.com/breakout-edu-adam-bellow/

This is exactly the task assigned to students by Librarian Dr. Michael Stanley and 8th Grade Reading Teacher Andrew Jinkens of Liberty Middle School. Students were learning about Utopian societies through reading, and were asked to create Breakouts for their peers to solve.

Check out the video below to learn more about this project:

For more information about Breakout EDU, please check out the following resources: 

Breakout EDU- Official Site

Introducing Breakout EDU- from James Sanders

Breakout EDU Digital- From Lee Araoz

Breakout EDU- from Rachel Porter

A New Way to Drive Google Slides

There's a new way to remotely "drive" Google Slide presentations and it's a game changer when it comes to mobility.  I'm hoping word has made its way around regarding these new possibilities, but just in case here are the resources you'll need to get going.  It's as simple as installing a new Chrome extension and accessing/bookmarking a website on your phone and/or computer.  That's pretty much it.


The extension: Search the Google Web Store for Remote for Slides.  (Here's a link to share, if needed.)  Once the extension is installed on your Chrome browser open a Google Slide deck and locate the "Present with Remote" button in the upper right hand corner of the screen:

Click on that button to start the remote "driving" process.

Next, visit s.limhenry.xyz.  This can be accessed via a bookmark on a machine, tablet, or a mobile device.  In other words, anything with a web browser.  The site will ask for a unique six digit code for the slide deck.  That can be viewed on any slide within the presentation.  When the cursor reaches the lower left hand quadrant of a slide this menu pops up along the bottom of the slide:

Click on "Show ID & Start Remote", type in the six digit code at s.limhenry.xyz on the device which will be driving, and you should be good to go.  The presenter on the driving device has access to buttons which will allow easy navigation to the previous or the next slide within the deck.  Notice the useful running timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen as well.

In the upper right hand corner is a toggle for the presenter to access slide notes.  Here's a look at the screen with the notes option engaged:

  

NOTE: For those of us accustomed to using the "Esc" key to exit traditional present mode and to get back to edit mode, that will not work after the "Present with Remote" option is engaged.  Users, however, may get out of remote mode (if they choose) with the button on the far right hand side of the menu here:

But, as far as I've seen so far, to be able to go back and edit a slide the tab will need to be closed and opened again in edit mode.  This is the one and only "challenge" I have noticed with this new tool.

Thank you to Henry Lim for creating these new possibilities for Google Slide users.  Everyone I have shown it to has been excited and found it very easy to use.

Happy New Year everyone and please drive (your Google Slide decks) safely.

  

Bright Spot: Energy Sources + Fantasy Football = High Rigor and Engagement

How do you get middle school students excited about learning about different types of energy? Make it a challenge! Tim Duggan, a 7th Grade Extended Core teacher at Sky Vista Middle School, found his students talking about Fantasy Football, and decided that he could use this strong student interest to his advantage. So he had the students learn about different types of energy through a Fantasy Football lens.  

His students formed teams, then had a draft day where the teams chose the form of energy that they wanted to study and debate about.  They even studied about types of energy that weren’t the ones they chose so they could be more successful in their debates. The students had a great time with this project, and many of them attributed this to the freedom, choices, and sense of friendly competition they had while working to beat the other teams.

To get the students more interested in their research, Mr. Duggan invited two experts into his classroom so the students could ask questions. One of the experts joined in person, while the other joined through Skype. Watch the video below to learn more about Sky Vista’s Energy Fantasy Football Project.

If you would like more information about finding an expert to Skype with your class, check out Skype in the Classroom, which is holding their annual Skype-a-Thon on November 28-29. If you are a Cherry Creek teacher, log in to http://my.cherrycreekschools.org, click the MyProductivity tab, then the Microsoft Educator Community tile. Click Sign In and click Office 365. Then click Skype in the Classroom and find the Skype in the Classroom opportunity that is right for you and your students!

CCSD Bright Spot: Changing Mathematical Mindsets

In Donna Boucher's Math Coach's Corner Blog, she compares learning your ABCs to your 123s, in that when people say they aren't good at math, others may laugh, or even agree that they aren't either, and that's socially acceptable. But if someone says they are not good at reading, the reaction is much different. 

I know that I, for one, used to be the one who said that I just wasn't good at math. I truly believed it. Then I had a teacher who helped me develop a growth mindset in math. I didn't know that terminology at the time, but I did know that I finally understood number concepts and started feeling more confident in my mathematical abilities. When I started working more closely with our district's Elementary Math Coordinators, Sheila Messmer and Jen Overley, I learned that huge strides are being made in Cherry Creek School toward helping students develop positive mathematical mindsets. Check out my video below to learn more...

For more information about Mathematical Mindsets, check out videos from 
Jo Boaler on YouTube and Stanford University's youcubed site.

Summer Learning Opportunities 2017

If you are searching for opportunities to brush up on your technology integration skills and learn about new ways to be innovative with technology, here are some conferences and classes to think about attending/taking over the summer...

CCSD SLA- (Cherry Creek's Summer Learning Academy) June 5-9, ISF (Instructional Support Facility) and Thunder Ridge Middle School

This is a conference for CCSD educators with sessions taught by Cherry Creek teachers, coaches, and leaders. Sessions focus on English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, English Language Acquisition, Technology, and World Language.   

InnEdCO-  June 12-15, Keystone, CO

InnEdCO stands for Innovative Education Colorado. The goal of the conference is "to help teachers integrate technology tools with 21st Century skills, into all content areas." It's always a great conference for teachers, tech. coordinators, and district leaders. You'll see several CCSD presenters here as well.

BLC- Building Learning Communities- July 20-22, Boston, MA
If you have ever heard Alan November speak, or have read one of his books, you know why this conference is a recommended one. There will be multiple, excellent keynotes including Rob Evans and Christy LaPaglia, and, as usual, Alan November will serve as the host of the conference. This conference focuses on creating and enhancing relationships for more meaningful teaching and learning enhanced by technology.

Schoology NEXT- July 23-26, Chicago, IL

If you are already a power user of Schoology or if you are just getting started in using this great learning management system, this is a fantastic conference! One of the highlights of the conference is learning about upcoming additions and improvements to Schoology before anyone else, and I can tell you there are some great upgrades coming! Tracks for breakout sessions will include:

• Visionary Leadership
• Assessments, Data, and Informed Decision-Making
• Innovative Instructional Practices
• Inside Schoology

eNet Learning Online Courses

There are many online courses 

being offered this spring and summer through eNet Learning Online. These courses can be taken for graduate credit, but every participant will receive CEU credits. Some of the courses offered include Designing Blended Learning, Curate, Collaborate, and Create: A Wealth of Resources, and Creativity in the Mobile Classroom. Click here to learn more about the courses offered. 


Dominican University Online

Are you switching grade levels or content areas next year? Do you want to integrate more technology with your curriculum next year but have trouble finding the time to plan and do your research? If what you need is time, and you want to earn credit for it, then check out the Dominican University Online course, Maximize Student Success Through Enhanced Instructional Design. Through this course, you can earn up to 6 credits this summer doing what you already do, planning to help engage all learners in your classroom.

Hopefully you have found something here to pique your interest and save yourself from boredom during the summer months. If your summer is already full of travel and family time, stay tuned to learn about more learning opportunities when we return in August.

iLearnCollaborative

If you are interested in learning more about Blended Learning, iLearnCollaborative is a great choice. Courses are online, so you can work on your skills from the comfort of home, on the beach, at the pool, at your in-law's house... and earn credits. Colorado educators get a special discount. Click here to get more information about the discounted prices.

ISTE- June 25-28, San Antonio, TX

The International Society of Education (ISTE) is hosting their annual conference in San Antonio June 25-28. With over 1,000 sessions and 15,000 educators, this conference brings like-minded educators together from all over the world. Keynote speakers include Jenny Magiera, Jad Abumrad, and Reshma Saujani.

The Things We Wish Every Teacher Knew About Technology...

One of my favorite people to follow on social media is EdTech superstar Richard Byrne.  He provides a wide myriad of useful insight, practices, and tools on his blog, Facebook, and Twitter.  This post is inspired by one of his posts which he published on February 19.  Before writing his post he took to Twitter to prompt his followers to reply to the following prompt, "The things I wish every teacher knew about technology..."  I found the post fascinating and I hope you do too when you have the chance to check it out.



Our department has decades worth of EdTech/teaching experience and passion to share so I thought I would compile some thoughts from us too.  Here are the things (in no particular order) we wish every teacher knew about teaching with technology:


Rachel Advincula, CCSD Online Learning Coordinator, @radvincula95

"Technology tools are an important part of an inclusive community that supports learning for all of your students."


Shannon Burbano, CCSD Digital Learning Coach, @stb_44


"…your students will know more than you sometimes. And that’s good! Let your students be the experts, ask for their help, and be open and willing to learn from them."


Amber Paynter, CCSD Digital Learning Coordinator, @Amber_Paynter

"Technology can transform teaching and learning!  Engage, motivate, differentiate, innovate and shake things up for your students!  The risk is worth the reward!"


Kris Edwards, CCSD Digital Learning Coach, @kcedwards25

"...technology can make your life as a teacher easier, from greater student engagement to proactive parent communication."


Nanci Meza, CCSD Digital Learning Coach, @NMezaTechLearn

"Technology is not an event. It’s a tool to help students access content, raise their engagement, and personalize their learning experience."


As for me (@JayVeanCCSD), I like to remind teachers that technology is not a goal or an outcome.  It's there to add value to your instruction and to support classroom achievement.  Continue to sharpen your perspective on this "value added" approach and you'll maximize your success with technology integration in your learning environment.

The #CCSDTech team hopes you gained some useful perspective in the post and we look forward to supporting your efforts moving forward.  Please be in touch with any of us (via our request from or email) if you would like perspective and/or support.  We are ALWAYS more than happy to help.

Skype in the Classroom

Do you want to take your students on a field trip, but don’t have the time/money/resources to plan it? Were you hoping to use the Google Cardboard kits, but they’re already booked for when you wanted to use them? Have no fear! Skype in the Classroom is here!

Skype in the Classroom is just what it sounds like….Skype….in your Classroom. Project the Skype session for your class, and then students can take turns asking questions in front of the webcam. On the Skype in the Classroom website, there are several options of how you can use Skype to create a powerful learning experience for your students. You can take virtual field trips, meet with a guest speaker, or Mystery Skype with another classroom across the world.

Check out all the virtual field trip options! You can search by grade level, content area, language, region, or availability. Once you find a trip that you like, request the date/time (keep in mind time zone conversions if applicable), and then someone will get back to you.

A few tips….

1. When you want to request a session, you will be prompted to login. Select Office 365, and then login with your CCSD account. If this is the first time you have logged in, set up your time zone so times will automatically convert to Mountain Time.
2. If you teach middle or high school and want to skype with all of your periods, make sure to indicate that when you submit your request.
3. Find a couple of virtual field trips that interest you and request all of them as far in advance as possible, just in case one doesn’t work out.
4. Have your students prepare questions beforehand so that they can take turns on the webcam. Also, check the Skype website to see if there are lessons to supplement the field trip.
5. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, try tweeting @SkypeClassroom. They are very responsive on Twitter and will do their best to find something that works for you.

In addition to virtual field trips, Skype also has guest speakers and Mystery Skype. Mystery Skype is very similar to Mystery Hangouts, in which you arrange a Skype or Hangout session with another teacher, but your students do not know where in the world the other class is located. They have to prepare questions ahead of time and work together to solve the mystery. This could be great for geography or foreign language classes.

If you would like help in setting up Skype in the Classroom or Mystery Hangout, let us know! We would love to work with you!

Media Production Filming Tools for Checkout

Several years ago (ahem, a couple decades ago), I had to record myself teaching in order to complete an assignment for a college class. My professor asked us to reflect on our teaching as we watched what was captured by the video camera. I didn’t have my own video camera, but the school in which I worked had one that my cooperating teacher used to film me working with students for an hour. The camera was similar to this and my teacher followed me around the room the entire time so the microphone would capture our interactions.

Note: Media Production does not have a video camera this old for checkout.

While watching the interactions between me and my students that evening (by myself, because I didn’t want anyone else to see the tape!), after I got over the discomfort of watching myself, I really was able to reflect on how the lesson went. There were student behaviors I missed while focusing on other kids and I wrote about how I could improve my next lesson. I turned in the write up to my professor and never watched the tape again.

Well, technically, I couldn’t watch the tape again because I used it to record episodes of Northern Exposure.

Since then, I’ve gained a lot of confidence in my teaching ability, but I know I still have a lot to learn. And while it’s wonderful to have a colleague in the room to observe and provide feedback, reviewing video of the time spent with students can be an amazingly valuable part of the reflection process.

If you are interested in filming for self-reflection, Media Production can help! You can hook up your cell phone or tablet to a SWIVL robot and record your interactions with students. It’s easy to set up and much less intrusive than having a colleague follow you all over the room.

 

This isn’t the only video tool you can check out through Media Production. We also have Caddie Buddies, one for a phone and one for a tablet. These allow you to easily and safely carry a phone or tablet around as a recording device. They can also be secured to a tripod (also available for checkout).

Are you interested in checking out equipment? Please email Tammy Myslivy, or call her at x45012.

Media Production is located in the Student Achievement Resource Center (SARC) at 14188 E. Briarwood Ave, Centennial, 80112, behind the Centennial Medical Plaza on Arapahoe Road. Our office is open to staff and parent volunteers working on classroom projects Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 4:30.

Become a Google Superhero!

** Note: This class is now full for this session, but we plan to offer it again in the summer. Watch for it in the Office of Professional Learning's newsletter in May. **

Do you want to be a Level 1 Certified Google Educator? Or maybe you want to become a Google Superhero? Then take our Google Course!

This course is online and self-paced: finish it all over spring break or take your sweet time and work on it from now until May 5th. This class combines Google Training modules with additional coursework in Schoology to give you credit for studying to become a Level 1 Google Certified Educator. This course is designed for teachers who would like to increase their knowledge in using Google Apps in their classrooms. Through the companion coursework in Schoology, we will provide lots of opportunities for you to practice using all that Google has to offer with your classes. AND you get 1 credit. Could it get any better?

We’ve extended the deadline to sign up to this Friday, March 3! So if you thought you missed out, you are in luck! Sign up today through ERO and send a check to Joni McRoberts at SARC. The SRN # is: 20168064301

Check out the flyer below for more information:

We LOVE Breakout EDU, Part II

In last week's blog post, we talked about Breakout EDU and how it has been used in Elementary classrooms in Cherry Creek.  This week, we'll focus on Breakout EDU at the secondary level. 

To recap, Breakout EDU is about creating challenges for students to solve in order to open a series of locks and eventually solve the challenge for some kind of prize.  The challenges covered in this week's Bright Spot video were from Sky Vista Middle School and Cherokee Trail High School.  

At Sky Vista, students from 6th grade Social Studies classes worked on solving a challenge using their skills in Geography.  At Cherokee Trail, students on the Newspaper staff worked together to learn more about Journalism and how to work together to solve problems. Click on the video below to see how Breakout EDU engaged and challenged these secondary students. 

To learn more about Breakout EDU, go to http://www.breakoutedu.com/ and click Learn More. If you'd like help getting started with your class, contact our office. We'd love to help you!

We LOVE Breakout EDU

It's Valentine's Day, so we thought we would share about something we've come to love, Breakout EDU. As described on Breakout EDU's site, 

"Breakout EDU creates ultra-engaging learning games for people of all ages. Games (Breakouts) teach teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking, and troubleshooting by presenting participants with challenges that ignite their natural drive to problem-solve."

Using Breakout EDU in the classroom, students typically work in groups to solve puzzles/problems to unlock clues to open the locks on the Breakout EDU box. The group is given a limited amount of time to get the box opened, so collaboration is imperative and engagement is high. Once they figure out all of the locks, the box opens, and there's a surprise of some kind inside. It might be a piece of candy, a homework pass, or even a ticket to the symphony, as students at Buffalo Trail found...

To learn more about Breakout EDU, go to http://www.breakoutedu.com/ and click Learn More.

If you'd like help getting started with your class, contact our office. We'd love to help you!

Check out our Blog next week to see how secondary teachers in CCSD have used Breakout EDU with students.