Distance Learning

I love the internet

Whether you’re just thinking about distance learning now, or you’ve used a flipped model for years, there are so many (free) tools out there to assist you.  The benefit is anything you make to use for distance learning can be used in the future for classroom learning. For instance, let’s say you start creating videos solely for the reason of school closure – those videos can be used again in the future as a practice resource or small group activity.  Flipped instruction takes time upfront, but putting the time in now will allow for less time spent later! Let’s take a look at some great resources for distance or flipped instruction.

Google Classroom

Google Classroom is an incredibly powerful option to engage students outside of our classroom walls.  Post materials including videos and links, questions, assignments, and announcements to keep your learners current with the curriculum. I know in my own district of East Bridgewater, teachers use this tool frequently. When students come back from a trip or illness, a teacher will simply state, “Check Google Classroom for your missed work.”  This is a wonderful way to make learning accessible.  Below, I’ve included my tip of “Chrome at Home” which shows how students can sign in to their own Chrome account at home and access Google Classroom as well as a Google Classroom Tutorial that has many tips and tricks.

Screencastify

Screencastify integrates with Google Classroom as well and is a GREAT tool to provide students with video instruction.  In 30 seconds or less, you can create the video, click a button and send it to Classroom.  It’s quick, it’s easy, and it allows students access to your lesson via video.  You could go one step further and use your video in Google Slides with PearDeck or pull it into EdPuzzle and add questions! This has been a favorite tool of mine for YEARS!

PearDeck Student Paced Mode

Do you already teach your class using Google Slides? If your answer is yes, consider putting your slides in student-paced mode.  Students can then access your slides via Google Classroom and work on them at their own pace.  You, as the teacher, can them return to the Slide Deck and see student responses. Click here to learn more.

If you do not have Pear Deck Premium and find that you will need it due to school closings, you can request access here. 

I have included how to use Pear Deck for remote access below as well as a Pear Deck Slides Tutorial.

EdPuzzle

If you teach with video, including video you create, EdPuzzle is a great option that syncs with Google Classroom and will allow you to see REAL time data.  You can see how many students, and which students, viewed the video.  Even better, EdPuzzle prevents skipping so students HAVE to watch it.  You can add questions and checkpoints and EdPuzzle will grade it for you! This is a VERY userfriendly tool to use.  Check out this video below by Richard Byrne of how to use this great tool and access more information about EdPuzzle here.

Kami

Recently, Kami offered all users free premium access for distance learning in light of recent school closings in part of the country.  Kami Premium integrates with Google Classroom quite easily.  Check out Kami and how to use it by clicking here.

For more:

If you are interested in this topic, check out the interview here that was recently conducted with an American teacher in China going through school closure, and distance learning, right now. It’s quite interesting.

Do you have a favorite tool for flipped instruction? Share it!

TRULY take care everyone,

oFISHally yours,

Erin Fisher 🐟 🐟 🐟

Get your Vocab up to Scale! 😂 🐟

One day I was sitting at the kitchen table, and my son Chace, spouted out this word that was so beyond his years.  The word was incredulous, and it’s a word that I do not even use in my daily vocabulary, nevermind my son who was in first grade at the time.  I asked him, “where did you learn that?!”  He proceeded to tell me all about his teacher and how she just put words up around the room. He would see the word every day, and at some point, it must have been discussed.  Words have such power! Students just seeing new words can have an impact on daily usage. I can’t say enough about this teacher my son had, and all of her words around the room.  She certainly left an impact on my son.  We all learn differently, and for my son, seeing the word daily worked for him. For others, however, interacting with words may work and technology can enhance this interaction.  What are some tech tools that can assist with WORDS? Well, let’s take a look below!  👀

Educandy 🍬

Educandy was just featured on both Richard Byrne and Eric Curts’ blogs earlier this month.  It appears to be the hot, new, FREE platform to engage students in vocabulary activities! Check out the video below, from Richard Byrne, on how to use this new tool! Looks like FUN!

Flippity 🤸‍♀️

Flippity.com is an amazing resource for FREE, customizable templates that work with Google Sheets.  The flashcard template is a favorite of mine because it is so versatile. You can embed images and YouTube videos on to the flashcards if you wish. It also has various ways students can interact with the flashcards.

Quizlet 🙋

Quizlet on its own is an AWESOME vocabulary site with many premade lists teachers have created.  No need to add your own lists, if you search Quizlet by a story name, chapter, or title of a topic you will probably find a list of words. You can then modify them as you wish.  This tool is wonderful because it has speech-to-text built-in, as well as a picture dictionary and translator.

Once you have a list, kids can play Quizlet LIVE!  This is unlike Kahoot and Quizizz, it puts the kids into teams and they have to work together. They LOVE it! Check out both Quizlet and Quizlet Live!

Pear Deck – Flashcard Factory 🍐

Pear Deck has a great partnership with Quizlet when you use Flashcard Factory! It’s quite easy to copy and list from Quizlet into Flash Card Factory (100% free) and practice vocabulary in an ACTIVE format.  Once completed you can then push student examples back OUT to Quizlet.  I have NEVER seen so much enjoyment from practicing vocabulary than when students play Flashcard factory. I’ve seen it in grade 12 all the way down to grade 2! I use it with adults in my trainings as well and it is always a favorite! Talk about ENGAGEMENT! To read more about this integration, click here, and also be sure to watch my video below!

Great ways to use Flash Card Factory

Click here to sign-in to Flash Card Factory

Tech or Treat 🎃 🍭

Of course, we need to share some Halloween activities!  Do you have a good one? Send it my way!

PRO Tips of the Week! 💡

I learned so much cool stuff this week I had to include both!

Amazing Gradient Slides Backgrounds 🔙

Shown to me by a student, this one is quick and I love it! Check out the 50 second video below

Customize your Bitmoji!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this! It’s coming to a Chrome Extension near you, if it hasn’t hit already! Check it out below!

 

Did you learn something new that you can do with words? I hope so!

Take care, everyone!

oFISHally Yours,

Erin Fisher 🐟 🐟 🐟

Fishing off the right “pear” 🍐🎣

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Cod a minute to learn something new…😉 😉

There are so many amazing tools to enhance instruction in the EdTech world. Eventually (hint) I’ll do a post on my top 100, because honestly there are THAT many. However, a number one tool that stands out EVERY time is Pear Deck.  I have to devote a post “sole”ly to them because honestly, they just keep getting better and better!  Recently, I co-hosted a podcast with the amazing Tori Cameron of Steam up the Classroom. Together, we talked to Risa Bennet of Pear Deck about this amazing tool! Give it a listen here!

You can take a look at my previous posts about the Pear where I go over how to create a deck or the (newer) amazing Flashcard factory by clicking here, here and here (see so awesome – they have multiple posts). This week I’m going to talk about Pear Deck’s newest features and even better, their MASH  up with NEWSELA (also a top tool!), let’s take a look below!

Pear Deck + NEWSELA  newsela-daily-gif_full.gif

Could there BE a better mash-up (totally channeling Chandler Bing there)?  Seriously, both of these tools are amazing and now they are together like PB&J!  Peardeck will provide you with a deck and article DAILY to use with your class! Pick and choose, or use this great “pair” each day! You can present the Deck whole class or assign it in student-paced mode (premium) and hear from every student!  To read more about this great “pair” and/or to sign up for the daily deck, click here. Also, check out my video below on how this collaboration works!

Pear Deck + Quizlet 🍐

Pear Deck has a great partnership with Quizlet when you use Flashcard Factory! It’s quite easy to copy and list from Quizlet into Flash Card Factory (100% free) and practice vocabulary in an ACTIVE format.  Once completed you can then push student examples back OUT to Quizlet.  I have NEVER seen so much enjoyment from practicing vocabulary than when students play Flashcard factory. I’ve seen it in grade 12 all the way down to grade 2! I use it with adults in my trainings as well and it is always a favorite! Talk about ENGAGEMENT! To read more about this integration, click here, and also be sure to watch my video below!

Great ways to use Flash Card Factory

Click here to sign-in to Flash Card Factory

NEW Pear Deck Menu 🍐

A common mistake when presenting an interactive Deck is not using the Pear Deck Add-on. Well, it’s now easier than ever! Recently, Pear Deck pushed out its own Menu that appears within the Google Slides Menu, right next to Tools. If you don’t see this menu appear, try adding the Google Add-on Pear Deck and the extension Pear Deck Power Up.  This is a great feature, see below to learn more!

Active Learning 💃 🕺

Pear Deck is such a great tool because it really promotes active learning. All students are engaged in either the interactive slide presentation or in the vocabulary instruction.  There isn’t an option for a student to tune out because they are ALL being asked to engage in a task. If you’re “urchin” for something new in the classroom, give it a try!

Save yourself the haddock, and don’t let students flounder! Pear Deck is the best thing since sliced bread 🍞, no squidding 🦑! Try Pear Deck this week – Reach out for help and I’ll gladly assist!

Special thanks to my fellow Pear Deck Coach Monsieur Fritz for giving me so many great puns!

If you have something more engaging than Pear Deck, Let minnow! Post below!

Take care, everyone!

oFISHally Yours,

Erin Fisher 🐟 🐟 🐟

Fishin for Success: The FIRST Two Weeks 🎣🏅🏆

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And so we begin…another year! I cannot believe it! How many is it for you? For me, I am starting my 17th year in education. I feel blessed to have been in my career this long. I still love it! Every. Single. Day. These first few weeks, especially these first two, are BUSY!

It feels as though I’m running a race. I lay down at night and my mind takes a bit to slow down. My brain is busy, my body is busy, and my heart is full. I love the back-to-school rush; the smells, the smiles, the wonder…but I miss my children. I miss my pool. I miss my bed. I wonder about the year ahead: How will I manage school, home, kids, and work? How will I stay current? How will I help people? How will I make a difference? Do people like me? I am 38 years young, and this is how I feel.  Imagine how our students feel!

One of the most valuable goals we can have, right at the beginning, is to get to know our students and families. Relationships are at the heart of what we do. With positive, trusting relationships we have laid a foundation for success. I  really love this article here that highlights that concept! What tech tools can help with this? Well, let’s take a look!

FlipGrid 🎥

Flipgrid is an INCREDIBLE tool to use anytime! It can be especially helpful to get to know our students and families.  You could post a prompt before school begins, or in those first few weeks, for students to take video at home to share about themselves.  Have them interview a parent, sibling, or guardian even! Ask a student to show off a pet! Imagine how fun it will be to share those videos?

Even better, Flipgrid had some AMAZING new updates with their camera!  We will talk about that more in upcoming posts, but check out the blog post below from Matt Miller that highlights many new features!

20 activities to “Bloom” with the new Flipgrid camera

Pear Deck 🍐

And as we all know, Pear Deck is a personal favorite tool of mine! You can get to know students SO WELL with this amazing (free) tool! Here’s a great deck I plan to use in classrooms this year to assist teachers in getting to know their students. Feel free to use it yourself!

Google Forms 📋

Google Forms are a GREAT way to get to know students and families! What’s even better is Forms will give you an amazing spreadsheet of data to use ALL YEAR! I loved sending home a Form to families and asking about their children. They would tell me all sorts of great information I could refer back to all year. This is great to have set up during open house as well, on Chromebooks around the room.  You can check out the video below for a detailed look at how to create a form.

Goose Chase 🦆

Have you played Goose Chase??? Oh my goodness, if you haven’t…you need to try it!! This is such a FUN tool that can really do so much. It is an app and needs a mobile device like a phone, iPad, or Chromebook that supports Google Play. Basically, students have to post items in a scavenger hunt format. You create the questions or the “hunt”, so you could essentially use it to get to know your classroom.  In East Bridgewater, we do have a premium account. If you’d like to use it, please reach out!

In closing…Bitmoji Image

There is so much out there you can use with students to get to know them. The most important task is that we DO take a moment and do just that, regardless of the tool we use. How will you connect with your students and families this year? Let me know!

Bitmoji Image

Take it easy and take a moment for yourself too! <3

oFISHally Yours,

Erin Fisher 🐟🐟🐟

PearFish – The Game Changer 🐟 🍐

PearFish – the GAME Changer

Happy Fall Everyone! 🍂

This time of year I find myself at the farm quite a bit. We apple pick 🍎, we pumpkin pick 🎃, we go get mums 🌻, and who doesn’t like some fresh fall produce 🌶️! Fall in New England gives us so many gifts from the Earth! Naturally, it got me thinking about fruit! You know what is a favorite fruit of mine…Pears 🍐! Coincidentally, these are also in season right now in New England for picking! The focus this week is on my favorite fruit 🍐, and my favorite EdTech tool which has undergone some MAJOR upgrades! Take a look at the “Pearfect” tool to use in the classroom, for all ages, below!

 

Pear Deck Vocabulary 

Are you a fan of QUIZLET? I hope so, because it’s a GREAT program! It’s even better when “peared” with Pear Deck Vocabulary, a FREE resource! Pear Deck vocabulary allows students to APPLY the vocabulary words, rather than just learn them in a rote manner (word, definition, memorize). The best part, it takes no extra effort if you’re already using Quizlet AND, even better, students LOVE it.  Take a look at the video below and consider trying this AWESOME tool! I promise you’ll love this new way to review vocabulary!

If you don’t use Quizlet, you can also use Pear Deck Vocabulary by itself. Simply type your words and definitions in, or import from a spreadsheet! The ways to use this tool are endless – check out the article for ideas below!

Great ways to use Pear Deck Vocabulary

Click here to sign-in to Pear Deck Vocabulary

Pear Deck – The Orginal 

What can I say?! No EdTech tool has my heart more than Pear Deck.  I discovered this tool, through an Edtech friend, about five years ago when they were just a baby company, well before their integration with Google Slides.  This tool truly was a game changer in my classroom and my students LOVED it. They asked to use it EVERY DAY! It is so engaging and can do SO MUCH! Last year, I even wrote a blog post for Pear Deck about my love for their product. You can read that here. There is not a tool out there that acts quite like this tool! Self-paced, or whole group – see the engagement!

The Orchard  

Did you know Pear Deck has an orchard with premade decks? Check it out below! Also, if you’re an avid user of Pear Deck consider submitting a deck, because as I always say…Together, We are Better!

https://www.peardeck.com/orchard/

The NEW Pear Deck Extension 

If you’re already a Pear Deck user, you know that animated Gifs and Video can be tricky. Gifs lose their animation when presenting, and videos can present in poor quality and only on the main screen not student devices. Well, this is NO MORE with the new Pear Deck extension.  Click here to download the extension.  Leave it to Pear Deck to make themselves even MORE “pearfect!”

 

I cannot say enough about this tool! Please reach out today and I would LOVE to walk you through creating and presenting a Deck or trying out Vocabulary so you can see the magical pearfection!  If you’re attending the MassCue Fall Conference, check out my session on PearDeck as well for more!

Tip of the week – GRAMMARLY in DOCS! 

So, unrelated to my theme this week, but certainly needs a mention, Grammarly is now in BETA FOR EVERYONE in Google Docs! Check out the article here, and give it a try! Beta means its still being worked out so it may not run perfectly. However, try it and tell them. The only way they will improve is through feedback…because TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER!

oFISHally Yours,

Erin Fisher 🐟 🐟 🐟

 

PS – Stay tuned for next week’s post where I include some SPOOKTACTULAR Fishy Tech Tools for Halloween! 🎃 🐟

Hook ’em in: Using tech to build relationships ↩🎣️ 💙

Is there anything better than working with students? When you see the light go on? How full is your “bucket” after teacher appreciation week, last week? ☺ I certainly hope it is very full, and that your students sent you some love. We can take a look at education and talk about the variables that are beyond our control: kids are different today, families are different, standards are different, testing is different, technology is different, the administration is different, etc. However, what is not different is what is at the heart of education and that is relationships 👥 .  In relationships with students we as teachers make the choice and have complete control. We can choose to take on the difficult task of getting to know our students. I say difficult because often times we have to peel back the many layers of a youngster before getting to know him or her, and this takes time. Time is what we feel we don’t have, however, if you take the time it pays off during learning. It’s not always an easy world we live in, the demands of academia combined with social pressures and the internet fueling the fires 🔥, make it a difficult world for children to grow up in.  Many families are struggling and some of our kiddos are coming to school just holding it together. They need you, and not just as a teacher 💓. So, my focus this week is how technology can help build relationships with students.  What role can technology play in building warmth and trust with students? Well, read below to hear from a few of our very own on how they are doing just that! 

“Know ‘em so we can grow ‘em” 🌱

Google Classroom and Slides 

Tori Cameron, Grade 6 Teacher, says: During homeroom on google classroom I always have a question of the day. It can be about anything but usually has to do with timing during the school year. When I taught younger grades I used to have morning meeting and we always had a question of the day, so I wanted to keep up that kind of atmosphere in middle school. Throughout the year I have also given the students opportunities to create their own slides/videos on various topic to share with their class/friends.

Ginny McCarthy, Grade 6 Teacher, says: would turn the traditional sheets that ask them getting to know you questions to google slides where I could also use a program to show the students the results so they could tell who answered what. What is your favorite color etc… I also do big getting to know you poster. I was just thinking wouldn’t it be cool to scan them and create a digital presentation highlighting each child in the class! It could also run during Open House!

Laura McPhee, Grade 6 Teacher, says: I have them do an “all about me” Google Presentation at the beginning of the year.  They share them with the class so we can all get to know each other better.   I also do one myself.

These are GREAT Tori, Ginny, and Laura! I especially love how you combine the technology with a hands-on poster. Great blended learning!

💡 Idea: Start the year off with a Google Slides template you create about “getting to know you” and have students fill it in and personalize it. Sometimes having a template for them to fill in can be a bit easier for littles than a blank canvas
💡 Idea: The “Ask a question” feature is a great tool in Google Classroom that creates a blog-like atmosphere in a safe space. Consider using it, like Tori said, for a question of the day to get to know your class and they can get to know each other.  It also allows for practicing of typing skills!

Pear Deck 

Amy Ronayne, Gr. 8 ELA teacher, states: Although I don’t use technology explicitly to get to know students, it does allow me to understand them better. The biggest impact that technology has in my classroom is giving all students, especially the quiet students, a voice. Instead of me asking a question and hearing from the same 10 volunteers who always put their hands up, technology such as Pear Deck 🍐 and Google applications allow me to hear from all students. By using technology in brain breaks, I get to know students’ personalities much better (ex: use Pear Deck to draw your favorite food). 

I love this Amy! I agree Pear Deck is an awesome tool to hear from every student thus allowing us to know each learner a little better!

💡 Idea: Consider using a Pear Deck on the first day to get to know students, then you can share their answers with the class anonymously. This is a great activity that every student enjoys! I even have one made if you’d like to use it! Just reach out 🙂

Google Forms  

Bill Silva, HS Science Teacher, says: For my AP kids I do a google form to ask students questions about themselves and their interests.  I use this form to also collect book #, Email and other contact info.  This is always done in June of the previous year and allows me to communicate with them over the summer and assist them with their summer work. 

Awesome Bill! Google Forms is a GREAT tool to get to know our students, and also our families with the younger level.

💡 Idea: Consider sending out your “getting to know you survey” digitally via Google Form to parents if students are younger, or your students if they are old enough.  You can refer to it all year and it puts the data in a very nice, clean, spreadsheet!
💡Idea: Consider sending a “how do you feel about ______” Google Form at the beginning of the year. Ask students their strengths and weaknesses and have them reassess themselves throughout the year. Have it be anonymous and show them the data, and have them reflect on how they’ve grown. See my example here. 

Student Choice 

Joanne Cross, Gr. 3-6 Computer Teacher, states: When I do something like coding or computer animation with kids, it’s awesome to see some kids just excel at it. It may be a student who doesn’t necessarily have success academically but I can see some real coding/programming/animation talent in some kids. They just get it and make the connections necessary to work in these fields with computers. I talk about becoming animators or programmers later in life in my class all the time, especially with students who may not have found something that they shine at yet. I like that I am able to open new avenues for students to feel success and potentially build a career path as an adult.

Dan Parks, Gr. 7 Social Studies Teacher, says:  Kids have made videos for projects that show more of their personality than a written response can demonstrate. If I provide student choice in assignments/projects I see their strengths/likes based on the choices they make.

YES! I couldn’t agree more Joanne and Dan, and this is one of the key concepts in Universal Design for Learning! Simply giving students choice over their learning allows us to know them better and foster those relationships.

💡 Idea: Consider allowing students choose how to show mastery of a concept. Narrow down those choices with tools like Google Slides, iMovie, Animaker, Powtoon, Flipgrid, PAPER and PENCIL, hands-on projects, photos…etc!

SeeSaw/FlipGrid  

Maureen Holbrook, Spanish Teacher, states: When I use SeeSaw I usually ask students questions about themselves in connection with the material that we are learning.  Their responses are personal and unique.  I will always make a comment back to them based on what they say in the video/recording.  I respond to each recording – giving advice for improvement or simply commenting – letting them know I am reading/listening to what they have to say.  It is a personal response/interaction even though it’s through technology.  It is a way to connect with students using technology – their mode of communication 😊

Tori Cameron, Grade 6 Teacher, says:  Seesaw is great because the kids can comment and encourage each other. When I give the students opportunities to make videos, their personalities really flourish. 

Sarah Beberman, Grade 2 Teacher, states: Using an application such as FlipGrid not only takes some student barriers out of the equation but lets you hear the student “voice” that you hear in writing magnified. Their personalities shine and they think they’re mini-Youtubers.

💡 Idea: Consider trying out SeeSaw and/or FlipGrid. These are great tools to post prompts and see personalities shine! You can even share it with families. SeeSaw has a parent app as well to allow for a bit more privacy than FlipGrid, where a parent may see the entire Grid.

I’m here and ready to help you get some of these tech tools in place for next year! Let’s make a Google Form for the first week to send to parents and/or students. How about a “getting to know you” Google Slide activity or Pear Deck activity?! Let me know, I’m here and ready to “hook” you up!

Closing Thoughts 

As a parent, I care MOST about teachers loving my sons. My sons spend more time with their teachers during the week than me, so it’s important to me that they’re loved first. I can assist with academics at home (luckily), but I can’t replicate the relationship they form with their teachers, I can’t replicate that inspiration they provide or the curiosity they spark. There are so many great ways we can use technology to assist in getting to know our students! However, nothing compares to you sitting with them and taking the time to talk and truly get to know and love them. “The best teachers in the world connect on some personal level with their students.  They do not only know their students, but their students know them” (Couros, 2015).

💙

oFISHally Yours,

Erin Fisher 🐟 🐟 🐟

 

Fishy Feedback 📝 🐟

 

Hello hello!

I hope this post finds you well. It has been a tremendous week here in EB. It was a pleasure to pass out the Chromebooks to our first 25 teachers willing to pilot 1:1 teacher devices!  Already, we have teachers using Screencastify with students and this is due to having a Chromebook – Amazing! It was great to get to interact, even for a short time, with some faces I don’t usually see. I hope to work with you further. Remember, I am here for your benefit – so please reach out! There is no task too small!

Shout out to a whole SLEW of teachers this week – EB and OTHERS:

CHROMEBOOK PILOT TEACHERS way to step outside the comfort zone for some of you and take a Chromebook! I know you’re doing to do great things! PLEASE use me as a resource! I’m here for you!

Julie Sunderland and Kathy Pittsley are high school math teachers at Fairhaven High School.  Julie also happens to be a very dear friend of mine for over 20 years! Julie happened to text me on a Saturday night “Hey have you heard of Pear Deck?”  Have I heard of Pear Deck?!!! 🍐 OMG! Well – next thing you know, I basically force her to come to my house on MLK day for a 2 hour tutorial of how to use Screencastify, the Pear-Deck add-on in Slides, Quickshare Screenshot extension, and Equatio.  THESE TWO TEACHERS ARE AMAZING! Julie – right off the bat – told me “treat me like I’m dumb” which she is NOT. However, often I think that’s what we fear others will think when we don’t know about a certain concept – which can be anything, not just technology. Let me tell you, this is NOT the case with me. Never, ever, do I think anyone is dumb. In fact, I LOVE showing a new piece of technology you may have never seen before.  Needless to say, these two amazing math teachers left with some great stuff – and they emailed this week to let me know it! Math teachers – these four tools make for a great combination in HS math – give me a shout out if you want to see!

Matt Savage I loved walking into your room and hearing Disney Music and seeing Pear Deck Vocabulary running! Woohoo! Boy did your students look engaged! Way to integrate Steve McGuire’s Disney Day!

Speaking of Steve McGuire, I heard Central School Preschool had a pretty awesome dance party this week! The kids loved it!

So much fun podcasting with Tori Cameron! Did you know she has her OWN podcast?! I was honored she asked me to be on it, thanks Tori! Check our her Podcast site: Steam Up The Classroom.  A certain Ross Clayton has been featured on the podcast as well!

Sarah Beberman Thank you for allowing me to start digital portfolios with a group of your second graders! Imagine what their portfolios will look like when they graduate? So cool!

Let’s see what tips and tricks I have this week that may help you out:

Technology in Central School Preschool 👦🏻🖥️👧🏾 

I’m so very lucky that my own children have been able to attend the Central School Preschool.  If you are a staff member in this district, you may want to look into this FANTASTIC preschool program. All three of my sons have been through, and this year we were lucky enough to have the amazing Mrs. Gorham for the third (and final 😥) year. I am also lucky enough that Mrs. Gorham and I have built a great relationship, so much so, that I can say to her “How about I come in and try Flipgrid with your students!”  This week I had the most wonderful opportunity to run the iPad center during center time AND use Flipgrid with PreK E.  Flipgrid was very successful, we asked each student “What is a farm?” and the responses were precious.  PreK E then watched every response on their smartboard and had a great time seeing one another on screen. I would love to share this with you, but due to the blog being public, I will not post it here. If you are interested in seeing this cute example of Flipgrid please reach out! However, here’s a cute slideshow of PreK E using their iPads this week! If you are a teacher who would like me to come in and run a technology center for you, I would be more than happy to do so! I can even create you a CUTE slideshow after the fact to share with parents.

 

Feedback in Writing 📝 

Providing meaningful feedback for student writing is a hot topic everywhere you turn! As educators, we want to provide feedback that will both engage and assist our students with the writing process, but it can be so very time-consuming.  Below are some great posts regarding digital feedback that may make it easier, engaging and more productive for you and your students!

This is a great post from Catlin Tucker (yes that is how you spell her name) regarding shortcuts in Docs. 😺 Catlin is a HUGE proponent of not bringing home grading! She was the keynote speaker at MASSCUE a few years ago…and let me tell you…AMAZING! Her post is worth a look.

http://catlintucker.com/2017/07/shortcuts-in-google-docs/

Anyone who knows me, knows I just LOVE the extension Screencastify! This great post from blogger Jake Miller highlights how he uses Screencastify to provide feedback on writing for students in his class. Imagine giving a student audio feedback while you correct a paper, so effective! We have many teachers here already using this great tool, check out another awesome way to use it!

Click here for Jake’s post: http://jakemiller.net/screencastify-for-feedback/

See the video below about how to use Screencastify:

Special Characters in Docs 😀 

Speaking of feedback – how about using some smiley faces or even a taco in your feedback?! Have you ever needed a certain character in a Doc? Well, thank you Ginny McCarthy for asking me this question – it will help so many.  Take a look below to see how to get certain characters easily and efficiently!  Examples include checkmarks, happy face, dogs, frogs, – pretty much anything! ✅😀🐶🐸🌮

 

I hope to see you soon! Imagine what we can do! 

oFISHally yours,

Erin Fisher 🐟 🐟 🐟

Don’t get TIDE down 🐟 🌊

YAY for long weekends!  I could use a little extra sleep this weekend with the chilly weather coming in and three young boys adjusting to Daylight Savings Time, how bout you? As November is upon us, and we have disjointed weeks with Veteran’s day, Thanksgiving, and Central School Conferences, my calendar starts to slow down a bit. It seems we start to get tied down to all of the tasks that need to get done in this short month. However,  I would LOVE to see you, in your classroom, and show you how Peardeck runs (I’ll build you one), Flipgrid works (I’ll create the lesson), or any of the other great tech tools we have here in EB! Please check my calendar and book me to come in, even if it’s just to show off!

I have SO MUCH TO SHARE with you this week. Check it out below:

Nice work Science Teachers  🐸 🔬

Awesome job Megan Krugger and Kelly Hansen! These 8th-grade science teachers presented at the Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers annual conference last week on Debate in Science Education. They focused on GMOs, Fracking, and the Dakota Access Pipeline. It’s some pretty interesting stuff, with great lessons involved! I learned quite a bit just by reading through their presentation.  Take a look at the website they designed for the presentation, it’s very impressive! Click Here. 

Attitude of Gratitude HyperDoc  ❤  😊 ❤  😊

This is a great activity to modify and use with your students (click here), especially during this thankful time.  This HyperDoc asks people what they are grateful for.  Then, the answers are displayed in a word cloud or Padlet.   The creator of this HyperDoc linked Answer Gardens to each question. You could do the same, or link a Google Doc and share results with the class. The only issue I have with Answer Garden is you cannot tell who wrote what, leaving room for students to be inappropriate. If I were to modify this activity, I would link out to a Google Doc or Padlet where students can write their answers, allowing me to see who is writing what when I view the revision history.   If you’re interested in this activity, but would like assistance or the original modified into a format you can use, please book me today! I would be more than happy to put this into a format you can use!

Build a Turkey 🦃 🦃 🦃  🦃 🦃 🦃

If you want a fun activity where students use Google Slides to build a Turkey, click here! It’s very cute! This is inspired by Eric Curts “Build a Jack-o-Lantern” and created by @bethkingsley13

MORE FONTS for Google Docs 🔠    🔠

(taken from Eric Curt’s Blog post 800 Fantastic Fonts)

There are over 800 fonts you can use in Google Docs!  It’s very easy to add more fonts to your font choices. Check out this cool font below called Creepster:

You can preview all of the Google Fonts by going here: https://fonts.google.com/

Then, to add a font to your choices, in your own docs, simply choose your font menu and click add more fonts.

Enjoy this Ryan Gosselin SNL video about Fonts 🙂 HEHEHEHEHE!

Change your default font in Docs  😁  😁

WHAT?!! This is so simple, and I’ve been manually altering my font for years! Check out this great post from tech blogger Jake Miller.  You can see the whole post here, or view the GIF below to see how to change your default font in Google Docs. I’m a big fan of the Sniglet font myself 🙂

Pear Deck Add-on – EVEN MORE AMAZING (and easier) than the site!  🍐🍐

If you have been overwhelmed by Pear Deck in the past or found it cumbersome to create Decks then this post is for you! If you flat out LOVE Pear Deck, this post is also for you because it just got BETTER! Pear Deck has added an add-on for Google Slides. What this means is that now you can take ANY Slide presentation you already have, and add questions right to the slide. IT. IS. SO. GREAT. You can watch my video if you’d like, or you can read about it from Pear Deck by clicking here.  If you’d like to see what Pear Deck is all about, I will gladly create a Deck for you and come in and present it to the students so you can see how it works. Lisa Grinkis did that last week, and it worked very well! Please just book me for the time to create it, and then if needed, for the time to come in and use it with the children. Lisa felt comfortable presenting it herself since she is an avid user of Pear Deck!

Piktochart: Cool Infographic Site 🖼  🖼

Thank you, Megan Krugger for sending me this fun site to play with! If you’ve attended PD on infographics in the past, you may have seen Picktochart.  This site is free (although does have a “level up” paid option) and allows you to create some pretty cool infographics.  It has many templates, text boxes, images, “stickers,” graphics etc etc that you can use. It reminds me of sites like Shutterfly where you can REALLY get into making something. BEWARE, once you play with this, you are committed to HOURS of fun. I made an example below, which allowed for easy embedding (although large). This would be a great project for students to show their knowledge regarding a certain concept! Unlike Google Drawing (my app of choice), there are many templates that one can just insert information rather than start from scratch.

School Committee  🏫  🎒  🏫 🎒

Lastly, I had the wonderful opportunity to present and give an update regarding technology integration to the East Bridgewater School Committee on Thursday evening. You can check it out on EBCTV, if you’d like, and you can also access my presentation here.

 

I LOVE showing off the awesome things you do! Book me to come in today and see it!

Have a nice weekend everyone.

oFISHally yours,

Erin Fisher 🐟 🐟 🐟