Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything
Story Spheres
CSI and Google Slides
Library ThingsMeet Your Librarian
Palo Alto Elementary Morning Announcements
Ten Google Workspace FeaturesCheck out these 10 Google Workspace Features for Teachers! Attention: Math TeachersTCEA publishes a blog called TechNotes that provides lots of nice ideas, resources and reviews. You should take a look sometime. One article about Digital Math Tools caught my attention recently. Tuck this article away for when you need it. It's full of great stuff! Want Some End of Year Activity Ideas?Check out these awesome ideas for EOY activities:
Also check out these Google Classroom EOY Cleanup Tips My passion is to help provide South San ISD students with the best educational experience possible. One of the ways I can do that is to provide teachers with resources that will help them with instruction. Please help me understand how to best help you by completing this feedback form. Note: the form is anonymous.
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Need a Little Variety?
If you're tired of looking at your same old PowerPoint and Google Slides templates, then your students most likely are as well. Enter Slides Carnival. This great bank of presentation templates will make your day! And if you happen to exhaust all of the options, here's an article that will lead you to even more! You can never have too many of these to choose from, so why not one more spot that will offer you 600 + themes to select from?
Speaking of Slides
Did you know that it's incredibly easy to use Google Slides to annotate? Check out this video to learn how.
Library Things
Have a look at this adorable book talk from Hutchins Library.
Teaching Strategies Repository
Meeting of the Minds
While we've all been using Google Meet for over a year now, Google has pushed out updates, so it might be about time to revisit what we know about Meet. Take a look at Google's Meet support page to learn everything you'd ever want to know about video conferencing platform.
You also might have some parents asking about tips for using Meet. Look no further than the Guide to Google Meet for Parents and Guardians. Make the Move to Schoology
Did You Know?
Keeping Up with EDU
There is so much to keep up with when it comes to digital age learning. It's almost too much to handle. Well, Google for EDU realizes that and has a series called EDU in 90 to address just this idea. It's a bank of videos in YouTube that addresses various topics related to digital age learning in education.
Here's their playlist's description: EDU in 90 is a video series from Google for Education. Each episode, we'll focus on an important topic for educators, administrators, and school leaders - things like product updates, new programs, and helpful resources for the classroom. Don't Forget these PD Opportunities
Last month, I told you about a learning opportunity facilitated by Region 20 called the Digital Learning Summit. This is just a reminder about that event. Registration is open, and it's free to our district. Check it out! You can check out more Region 20 offerings here.
​My passion is to help provide South San ISD students with the best educational experience possible. One of the ways I can do that is to provide teachers with resources that will help them with instruction. Please help me understand how to best help you by completing this feedback form. Note: the form is anonymous.
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We've never found the need to engage students to be more relevant than now. It's good we're in this COVID predicament at this moment in time, because there are loads of tools out there that help keep kids engaged. One of these is Flipgrid. In a nutshell, Flipgrid allows teachers to create prompts in which students may respond by creating a video of themselves. It's really easy to use and lots of fun too. Watch the basics video here to learn how to quickly jump in to the Flipgrid world and check out this playlist to learn even more. | |
Using Your Phone (or tablet) as a Document Camera
Back in the spring at the beginning of the pandemic, I suggested ways that you could get creative if you didn't possess a traditional document camera (see the video here). This idea came again to my mind while reading through Richard Byrne's email newsletter. In the newsletter, he reviews some ways to use your phone in this way. Take a look at the following videos to learn all about this great idea.
Watch this video if you're using an iPhone or an iPad.
Watch this video if you're using an Android device.
Just a Little Side Note:
If you do not already subscribe to Richard's weekly newsletter, I recommend that you do that now. I have learned so much from him, and I know you will too. Here's the link to sign up.
If you do not already subscribe to Richard's weekly newsletter, I recommend that you do that now. I have learned so much from him, and I know you will too. Here's the link to sign up.
A Little Bit of Library Info
We in the South San Library (Media Services) group are excited about lots of things, but I'd like to share two of them with you. We're excited about SORA from Overdrive (gives students the ability to check out public library books without a library card) and Maker Space in South San Libraries. Check out the videos below to learn all about these things!
Here's a Great Resource You Should Check Out
TCEA offers lots of wonderful resources. One of them is their TechNotes blog. It doesn't disappoint. One of their latest posts caught my eye this week. It's called "Our 2020 Google Resource Roundup." and it's loaded with plenty of Google resources (as you can imagine). You should check it out!
Some Chromebook Tips
In case you're unaware, Chromebooks are quite the thing in education these days :) That's obvious, but something that may not be that obvious is some functionality that a Chromebook offers. I'd like to share some information with you regarding text to speech and speech to text capabilities that you have while using a Chromebook. Check out the resources below:
Text to Speech
The ability to have text read aloud to you is pretty fantastic! The Chromebook can do that. Watch these videos to learn how to enable it and then make it happen.
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Speech to Text
Speech to text offers the user the ability to have their speech dictated or converted to text. It's an especially helpful ability for those students who struggle to type quickly or really dislike typing in general. Watch this video to learn how to make this kind of thing happen.
My passion is to help provide South San ISD students with the best educational experience possible. One of the ways I can do that is to provide teachers with resources that will help them with instruction. Please help me understand how to best help you by completing this feedback form. Note: the form is anonymous. |
Smithsonian has recently released nearly 3 million 2D and 3D images into the public domain. This is great news for educators and students, since the images have been given a Creative Commons Zero License, meaning You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Make sure you have a look at this gigantic collection of images. You can get to the Smithsonian Open Access collection here: https://www.si.edu/openaccess |
Would you like to know MORE about images and sounds you and your students can download for projects? Take a look at South San Library Services resources site to learn about many other resources.
What's Happening in the Library?
Genially: Interactive Content Tool
Genially is a fantastic creation tool! It's rare to find one resource that will help you do so much. You and your students can create presentations, interactive images, infographics, video presentations and much more. Watch a tutorial video below to get started with this amazing opportunity. You may also visit the Help Center to learn more. |
Here are the types of creations available to you with Genially:
Try this tutorial video:
Five Palms Elementary Morning Announcements
Five Palms Elementary has entered the world of live morning announcements! Five Palms music teacher, Mr. Tudyk is doing a great job of planning, creating, filming (and so much more) the live announcements each morning. Take a look at this gallery of photos from a recent filming.
Take some time to watch an interview with South San ISD Technology Director, Scott Laleman. Lola does a fantastic job! Go to Five Palms Action News YouTube Channel to watch more.
Would you like to learn more about having morning announcements at your school? Let's talk!
Excerpted from Tara Martin's "About" page: Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator, national speaker, and author who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. She has served as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach for several years, and most recently, a district administrator. | Well-known for her booksnaps (digital text annotations), Ms. Martin maintains a resource site for teachers, coaches and campus/district leaders that includes her blog, how-to videos and much more. Definitely take some time to review her resources. Follow Ms. Martin on Twitter @TaraMartinEDU. |
My passion is to help provide South San ISD students with the best educational experience possible. One of the ways I can do that is to provide teachers with resources that will help them with instruction. Please help me understand how to best help you by completing this feedback form. Note: the form is anonymous. |
I'm sure you've seen a Chromebook, but are you comfortable using one in the classroom? Maybe you'd like some suggestions on how to use these devices to their fullest potential. I came across a site that posts Chromebook lesson ideas. It's aptly named "Chromebook Lessons," and it's located at https://www.chrmbook.com/. When you visit the site, make sure you filter by subject area and grade level to drill down exactly where you need to be for your particular students. And...maybe you'd also like to learn more about the particulars of using a Chromebook in general. If so, take a look at The Art of Using a Chromebook. One last very impressive resource is one known as the Chromebook App Hub. Like "Chromebook Lessons," it also offers some wonderful suggestions for integrating Chromebooks into your curriculum. Take a look at these great sites!
What's Happening in the Library?
Do you rely on Google Maps as much as I do? For most of us, maps and GPS have become a routine part of our days. Your students are no different. They use (and they need to learn how to use) maps just like we do. So why not bring this conversation into the classroom? I would like to introduce you to Tour Builder. It allows users to do exactly what it sounds like - build a tour of the Earth. Take a look at this tour of South San Antonio ISD! Pretty cool, right? And it's very easy to use! Before everyone other than Social Studies teachers tunes this out, wait just a second. There are plenty of ways for other content areas to join in on the fun. Here is a list of possibilities:
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A speaker, podcaster and author of multiple books about innovation and design thinking, A.J. Juliani will challenge how you think about educating students. Visit his site today and follow him on Twitter. |
Poster My Wall is one of those sites everyone ought to know about. Here's how Poster My Wall promotes their site: Create amazing Posters, Videos & Graphics For Your Business Thousands of templates, free downloads and easy tools! If you or your students have need for a quick design for an assignment, look no further. Poster My Wall's got you covered. |
Your students will love you for this! When they tell you they've finished all of their work, then tell them to go to one of the sites mentioned in this article by Ditch that Textbook. In the list your students will find opportunities to make a difference, vocabulary building, a place to satisfy their curiosity about the world around them, the world of foreign languages, Google Quick Draw and much more. Take a look at these sites today! |
My passion is to help provide South San ISD students with the best educational experience possible. One of the ways I can do that is to provide teachers with resources that will help them with instruction. Please help me understand how to best help you by completing this feedback form. Note: the form is anonymous. |
Padlet - A Useful Digital Wall
I certainly hope you know about Padlet, but in case you don't, it's my pleasure to introduce you to it. This great tool provides you and your students with a customizable digital wall in which content can be uploaded and then shared. I've used it a ton as a place where students can post something they've created online such as a Google Slideshow. Padlet is extremely easy to use, and can be accessed from a variety of devices. Don't overlook this tool as a quick way to gather formative assessment as well! |
Mystery Hangouts
A mystery hangout is a video chat between two classrooms that can be anywhere in the world. This video conference between students can be set up in a variety of ways, but it's often organized as a game of 20 Questions in which students try to determine where the students on the other end are located. It's a really cool way to embed curricular concepts like weather studies, language studies, geography, history, and so much more. One little note...you may use any platform you choose, such as Skype, but it's commonly called a "Mystery Hangout." If you're interested in learning more, take a look at this Smore that highlights the basics, visit the #mysteryhangouts hashtag on Twitter, or watch the following YouTube video intro. It's full of great ideas! Also take a look at the Google Hangouts Guide for Teachers. If you'd like to try this out, let me know. I'd love to be a part of the fun.
Author of multiple books, thought leader, former principal and science teacher, Eric Sheninger is someone who will challenge your thinking. Make sure you follow him on Twitter and visit his website to learn all about the ideas Eric is sharing regarding pushing the envelope in the educational setting. | Eric Sheninger |
What's Happening in the Library?
Create a Custom Worksheet
A friend recently shared this site with me. Wizer.me will allow you to create a customized digital worksheet for free! You simply get a free account, choose a decorative background and slap on a title. Then, you'll be presented with the options regarding content. See the pic below. Once you've completed the worksheet, you will be allowed to assign it to students using Google Classroom, Edmodo, by using a link or through Wizer.me's own assignment system. I think you'll enjoy this site immensely! Here's the Wizer.Me support center and here's a video that will help you get started. |
My passion is to help provide South San ISD students with the best educational experience possible. One of the ways I can do that is to provide teachers with resources that will help them with instruction. Please help me understand how to best help you by completing this feedback form. Note: the form is anonymous. |
Thinglink: Annotate Images
Thinglink is an incredible resource that will let users upload an image and then place "tags" on the image that will give visitors new information about the image. Tags can take visitors to other websites or YouTube videos, take a tour of other Thinglink images, or simply display text that can supply viewers with an added layer of information. Have a look at this tool and see what you think. You may even want to look at these examples of how users have used Thinglink in the past.
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Book Snaps: A Great Way to Connect with Text
Book Snaps offer students a method for interacting more with text. Created by Tara M. Martin in response to the Snap Chat craze, Book Snaps offer students a wonderful opportunity to express themselves using methods they are very familiar with. And this strategy shouldn't be limited to text alone. Math Snaps can exist alongside book snaps as well, giving students a way to use language while doing their math work. Take a look at these how-to videos to jump into booksnapping with your students.
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What's Going On in the Library?
Maker Space continues to be a big theme in the South San ISD Libraries. From creating structures with straws or cardboard to coding and programming robots, South San students are being challenged to create. Watch the two videos below to learn more.
Take a look at the video below to learn about all kinds of maker activities happening around the district.
Eric Curts is an expert in the digital age learning community that you need to know about. He maintains a site called Control Alt Achieve that offers so many wonderful ideas that will help you integrate technology into your existing curriculum. Mr. Curts also maintains an active present on Twitter and YouTube. Be sure to check out all he has to offer!
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Hour of Code is Coming!
During the week of December 9-15, educators and students across the globe will celebrate what is known as the Hour of Code, or HOC for short. The Hour of Code presents us with the opportunity to introduce students to the amazing world of programming. There are so many resources at our disposal now, that it's easy to just jump in to the HOC. I've assembled some of my favorite resources here. I hope you will find them useful. Although we officially observe the HOC during one week in December, realize that coding can happen in any classroom on any day of the year. Another thing to keep in mind is that you and your students can delve into computer science concepts WITHOUT computers. While this may sound strange, there are such things as unplugged activities that will help you do just that.
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My passion is to help provide South San ISD students with the best educational experience possible. One of the ways I can do that is to provide teachers with resources that will help them with instruction. Please help me understand how to best help you by completing this feedback form. Note: the form is anonymous.
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Organizing Your Google Classroom
By now, you've probably had a chance to dive into the use of Google Classroom. You've created assignments and announcements and your students have assimilated to the use of this amazing resource for exit tickets, class questions and general workflow. But did you know that there's a really easy way to organize your Classroom so that your students can stay organized? It's called "Topics" and you really should consider using them. Have a look at this article from Ditch That Textbook to learn all about organizing your Google Classroom with Topics. You may also want to take a look at last month's newsletter to access the Google Classroom Toolkit. There you'll learn about lots of cool Classroom helps. Enjoy! |
I Think Your Students Would Love to Create an App
I would like to introduce you to a really fun resource. It's called Glide App, and you can use it to create an app. It works like this. You input all of the information you'd like to include in the app on a Google Sheet. Then you click a few buttons in Glide App and the app is created! It's really simple, and your students will love it. I think it's a great alternative to the traditional presentation or book report. Have a look at this short description I wrote about the app called, "I Think Your Students Would Love to Create an App." In that description you'll even find a tutorial video to help you with the details of using Glide App.
Top of the Morning (Announcements) To Ye!
Let's give a hearty congrats to Palo Alto Elementary for blazing a trail in the morning announcements world. This Leader in Me school has been producing morning announcements for the past two school years, and they are excited about what this school year will bring them. They have upgraded to state-of-the-art equipment including a new camcorder, a sound board, a video mixer and green screen capabilities. I can't wait to see what the students accomplish this year. Have a look at the slideshow to see how the "studio" has transformed. You can support the students' work and watch their latest video on the Palo Alto Action News YouTube Channel.
What's Happening in the Library?
In case you haven't heard, the Athens Library as well as the Kazen Library have been renovated to coincide with their reopenings. Take a look at the pictures below:
Athens Library Went From This
To This
Although there's still work to be done at both Kazen and Athens libraries, we are excited to see what great learning experiences students will take part in this year in these "new" libraries.
It's still early in the school year, but the South San librarians are already hard at work to support all that happens in the classroom: maker space, literacy (of many varieties), and just plain fun. Look at the slideshow of what's happening in your district libraries. Also join me on Twitter or Facebook to learn more.
Mapmaker Interactive from National Geographic
If your curriculum has you all over the map, literally, then you need to check out National Geographic's Mapmaker Interactive. This online tool will allow you and your students to perform a number of tasks such as zoom in, drop a pin, add various layers, and even save and share the work done on the map. Don't miss this great resource! Look at the video below to learn more. |
If you've never heard of the resource known as friEdTechnology, you need to become acquainted with it. Their tagline is "Education Technology Professional Learning and Development," and they deliver all that's included in that statement. Whether you browse their "Worksheet Killers" section, spend time on their friEd Online Trainings, learn with the help of their blog or check out the great ideas on their YouTube channel, you're sure to learn about new ways to integrate technology. Have a gander at this amazing resource today! |
My passion is to help provide South San ISD students with the best educational experience possible. One of the ways I can do that is to provide teachers with resources that will help them with instruction. Please help me understand how to best help you by completing this feedback form. Note: the form is anonymous. |
Old Entries
I began this blog using Blogger and then switched to Weebly. Feel free to access the previous archives at this location.
Google Classroom Toolkit
As we increase our usage of Chromebooks (more carts and more one-to-one) in South San ISD, the value of Google Classroom for us will also increase. With this in mind, I'd like to equip you with a Google Classroom toolkit. Have a look at the resources in the bulleted list below to help you get started on the path to mastering Google Classroom.
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What's Going On in the Library?
Library and Media Services looks forward to a new school year. Whether you need resources to help with a unit you're teaching, assistance with technology integration, or even if you'd just like your campus librarian to consult with you regarding various topics, we've got you covered. Look to your campus librarian for copyright questions, help with research and inquiry and many other valuable nuggets of information. The librarians would love to help! One of the exciting additions to the South San ISD libraries this year will be in the area of maker spaces.
We will adding the following resources to each campus library.
Some of you may be interested in creating a makerspace in your own classrooms. Be sure to chat with your campus librarian to learn more!
We will adding the following resources to each campus library.
- Strawbees Maker Kit
- Makey Makey Inventor's Kit
- Sphero Robot
- Buddha Board
- Merge Cubes for Augmented Reality
- Makedo Toolkit
- The Kickstart Guide to Making Great Makerspaces - (book)
Some of you may be interested in creating a makerspace in your own classrooms. Be sure to chat with your campus librarian to learn more!
New Library Services Website
South San ISD Library Services now has a website. Be sure to visit and check it out. We also now have a Facebook page. Please visit us and make sure to Like our page.
Welcome to the Chromebook App Hub
The Chromebook App Hub is a new creation from Google for Education that will help you find ideas and apps for using Chromebooks in the classroom. Here's an excerpt from the Chromebook App Hub page:
Welcome to the Chromebook App Hub, an online resource to help educators, administrators and developers work together to learn about Chromebook apps and activity ideas for schools. The App Hub is dedicated to bringing transparency to developers’ data and accessibility policies, and to help decision makers find information about apps to meet the unique learning goals and policies of their school districts.
Be sure to visit this site to learn all about leveraging the power of the Chromebook.
Welcome to the Chromebook App Hub, an online resource to help educators, administrators and developers work together to learn about Chromebook apps and activity ideas for schools. The App Hub is dedicated to bringing transparency to developers’ data and accessibility policies, and to help decision makers find information about apps to meet the unique learning goals and policies of their school districts.
Be sure to visit this site to learn all about leveraging the power of the Chromebook.
Don't Forget About Discovery Ed
South San ISD subscribes to an extremely valuable resource called Discovery Education. Discovery Ed has long been known for its vast library of media (especially streaming videos), but there's so much more that DE has to offer. Here's a list of the highlights:
If you don't have an account with Discovery Education, be sure to speak to your campus librarian to get started. |
New Tech Resources Site
I've created a new site that will help you navigate through the myriad tools associated with "edtech" or "digital age learning," whatever we call it! It's a site much like this one, in blog format, but it's devoted entirely to short posts that highlight something you can do in your classroom TODAY! I've also been careful to categorize each post, so that you can quickly find what you're looking for. Have a look at the site today. I think you'll like what's already there, and I plan to add to the site regularly - here's the link - https://ssaisdtechtools.weebly.com/. |
Beginning of School Fun - Gimkit
If you like Kahoot, Quizizz, or Quizlet, you'll love Gimkit. Just like these others I've mentioned, Gimkit is a quiz game. A few important points are listed below:
You'll definitely want to take a look at this platform, and you'll see quickly that your students will love to play it. Here's an introductory video to help you get started. | |
My passion is to help provide South San ISD students with the best educational experience possible. One of the ways I can do that is to provide teachers with resources that will help them with instruction. Please help me understand how to best help you by completing this feedback form. Note: the form is anonymous. |
Old Entries
I began this blog using Blogger and then switched to Weebly. Feel free to access the previous archives at this location.
Change is the end result of all true learning.
Leo Buscaglia
30 Sites and Apps for Digital Storytelling
I think we sometimes overlook the power of storytelling. I know I do. It's something that we can do with any content area, and it's always received well. That's because we're wired to tell stories and to listen to them. Stories told well captivate our attention. That's why I think it's helpful to learn about tools that can help us tell our stories digitally. Have a look at the Top 30 Sites and Apps for Digital Storytelling. While it's definitely not an exhaustive resource, it's a great start. I would also like to add Adobe Spark Video to the list! Enjoy! |
What's Going On in the Library?
Google Keep - My Second Brain
| I am a huge fan of Google Keep! In fact, it often takes over when my brain fails me (which is often). Google Keep is simply indispensable for me. I use it to make reminders, lists, store pics of business cards, and I even use it to "keep" track of my Internet bookmarks. Keep is available on the web and as an app on mobile devices. I think there are a variety of ways we could use it in the classroom with students. One way would be to use it during the research process. Another great feature of Keep is that you can share and collaborate like you can with a Google Doc. Have a look at the tutorial video to learn more. |
This month's expert in the field is Christine Pinto. She is a kindergarten teacher in Southern California who strives to "make learning purposeful and the school environment an enjoyable place to be." If you're a teacher of little ones, you really need to connect with Christine. You can learn from her at christinepinto.com, at innovatingplay.world or at @pintobeanz11 on Twitter. If you only have time to have a look at one of Christine's resources, take a look at the Templates page on her site. You'll be glad you did!
End of Year Project Ideas!
It seems like I keep coming back to Ditch that Textbook. That's because it's one of my favorite places on the web. Matt Miller has done it again. In this article, Matt presents 10 possibilities for you and your students in these last two weeks of school. From creating a website, to making an infographic, to exploring the genius hour, this article has you covered. Please take some time to look at these ideas from Ditch that Textbook! |
Comics Anyone?
Who doesn't like comics? Well, there may be some of you out there who don't like comics, but I would guess most of your students do. Make Beliefs Comix is a great tool that will allow your students to create and download their own comics. There's so much you can do with this resource! If you teach history, the students could easily summarize an event from the past. If you teach math, students can explain the steps of problem solving. If you teach science, students can help their peers understand a tricky concept. Have a look at this site today! Your students will love it.
My passion is to help provide South San ISD students with the best educational experience possible. One of the ways I can do that is to provide teachers with resources that will help them with instruction. Please help me understand how to best help you by completing this feedback form. Note: the form is anonymous. |
New Platform
I have changed the blogging platform from Blogger to Weebly based on user-friendliness. Feel free to access the previous archives at this location.
Author
Brad Cloud is the Director of Instructional Technology and Library Services at South San Antonio ISD.
Author
Erika White is the Instructional Technology Specialist for South San Antonio ISD.
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