ISD728 Tech Tips: February 2017

Monday, February 20, 2017

Digital Learning Day: February 23rd

Digital Learning Day: Thursday, Feb 23rd

Help celebrate Digital Learning Day in your classroom!

What is Digital Learning?

Digital Learning is integrating technology to make teaching and learning more
engaging, efficient and effective. Integrating technology helps students develop
21st Century skills that are necessary for them to be successful in their education,
personal and professional lives: empowered learner, digital citizen, knowledge
constructor, innovative designer, computational thinker, creative communicator and
global collaborator (ISTE Student Standards).

Why Celebrate Digital Learning?

Digital Learning Day started 2012 and is a national event where educators celebrate
and showcase innovative teaching that leverages technology as a catalyst
for student learning. It's not really about technology tools; it's about highlighting how
technology is transforming teaching and learning!

How Can Your Class Join the Celebration?

Tweet about your Digital Learning activities using hashtags: #digitalday728,
#DLDay and tag @OfficialDLDay.
Post tech in action in your classroom on Seesaw or Schoology.
Host a Google Hangout or Skype with another class.
Have students do a Digital Day promo activity answering questions such as

How does technology impact your learning?
What is the future of technology?

For more ideas and to see innovative technology integration ideas from other
schools, visit the Digital Learning Day website.

Monday, February 13, 2017

Have students explain their learning with audio/video

There is great value in having students process what they have learned. Students can explain their own learning, reflect on the process or use the recordings to teach other students. Listed below are some readily available tools to have your students record themselves.

1. Schoology

Assignment: Students can record their reflections privately using the microphone icon on the upload tab. They can record their thoughts in audio or video.
Discussion: Students can share their reflections publically using the microphone icon to post a video or audio response. Other students can also respond to these recordings.

2. Seesaw

Picture & Recording: Students can take a picture of their work and record themselves explaining it.
Drawing & Recording: Students can draw a picture or solve a problem and then record themselves explaining their process.
Video: Students can video record themselves explaining their learning.

3. Adobe Spark

Students can put images and text onto a slide and record themselves explaining it.

4. Screencastify

Students can use this Chrome extension to record their computer screens. They can show their completed work and record themselves explaining what they've done and how they've done it. They can also use the webcam to record themselves instead of the screen. This could be useful for demonstrating something that is offline.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Tech Tip: Recording a Rap

Here's a bonus tech tip this week . . . http://createraps.com/

It's a free and simple website that allows students to record themselves singing a rap. No account is needed, and it is very simple to use. Just choose an audio track, record and download. The download can then be easily transferred to Google Drive for sharing.

This would be a great tool to have students explain their learning through song!

Monday, February 6, 2017

8 Things to Look for in Today's Classroom

It's been awhile since we all heard George Couros speak to us at the beginning of the year about the importance of the innovator's mindset and our changing classrooms. The image below is a visual reminder of 8 things to look for in today's classroom--specifically, a learner-focussed classroom.

Seesaw, Schoology and Google Apps are all great tools for helping to facilitate many of these goals. If you would like to meet and discuss ways to achieve this, feel free to contact me.