3 Things to Check Out in EdTech!
Melody McAllister loves scrolling through socials and finding great things, ideas, and people to share.
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10 EdTech Tools to Try for 2018
1. Flipgrid 2. Formative 3. EquatIO 4. Quizizz 5. Adobe Spark 6. PhET Simulations https://phet.colorado.edu/en/ 7. Mentimeter 8. Classcraft 9. Pear Deck 10. Newsela
Online Teaching: The Creative Approach By @EBGtech
For right now, if you can’t focus on it, don’t focus on it. Focus on what you can. What new skills are they learning because of this situation? Focus on those skills and celebrate those successes.
From the Author @mjmcalli – I’m Sorry Story
The Journey to be an Author Guest Post by Melody McCallister To sign up for author read aloud https://forms.gle/oUMqq2NgJUVpbBMR9 How the I’m Sorry Story Developed Roughly eleven years ago, the I’m Sorry Story was floating in my head. I was teaching fifth grade in Garland, Texas and pregnant with my first child. I had been teaching for five years and… Read More »From the Author @mjmcalli – I’m Sorry Story
REJOICE! Your Interface Has Changed
“The only constant in life is change”-Heraclitus. Being an expert in Google Apps is a lesson in humility. Constantly Google (and hopefully every product you use) is making their product better. Which means when you open Google Classroom or any other Google App it may look differently. Your favorite feature may be completely gone or a new feature is added that you… Read More »REJOICE! Your Interface Has Changed
5 Homework Assignments for the Thanksgiving Break
A friendly reminder that a break is a break. This is not an excuse to give extra work to students. There is NO research that suggests that we should give students work to do over the Thanksgiving break or any break. Actually, rest and breaks are very important. So please, let your students have a break. 1. NO Packets The… Read More »5 Homework Assignments for the Thanksgiving Break
No Paper or Google Forms Spelling Tests
Ditch the Spelling Test I’ve been asked how to turn off spell check (facepalm) for Google Forms to administer spelling tests. There are a few issues with this. Do not fight technology, change what you do. If spell check has made the spelling test obsolete, own it and let’s value spelling a different way. Same for math, calculators find the… Read More »No Paper or Google Forms Spelling Tests
Well Intentioned, but Damaging
How Does That Score Make the Student Feel? I have fond feelings about my 4th grade teachers, both of them. Because I could not do math facts fast I had to repeat the 4th grade. My teachers were well intentioned with the timed math facts, but it has had a lifetime of negative impact on me. I am 42 year… Read More »Well Intentioned, but Damaging
Make Formative Assessment More Student Centered
Common Sense Media and Formative Assessment If you are not familiar with Common Sense Media allow me to introduce you to this great resource for helping parents and teachers navigate the digital world. Formative Assessment Tips Many of the most popular formative assessment and student-response apps make giving and scoring quizzes easy and efficient, but that’s just the tip of… Read More »Make Formative Assessment More Student Centered
Project or PBL via @edutopia
What is the Difference Between a Project and PBL? On Twitter, Edutopia gave an example of the difference between a project and PBL and provided a video. As I struggle to provide my students with authentic PBL projects I gather resources and information on what PBL is to help me get started. Project: students spend one hour crafting a Mars… Read More »Project or PBL via @edutopia
Teachers, Take a Break!
Our Bodies and Our Brains Need a Break Last year I wrote Don’t Be the Holiday Grinch: Ditch the Break Packets. For years I made these giant holiday worksheet packets. WHY? No one told me to do that? I thought I had to do that, what from my past made me think this was something that was good for learning? I Will… Read More »Teachers, Take a Break!
What Do You Want for the Holidays?
Teacher Gift Ideas The holidays are coming up and some parents/students could use some help with gift giving ideas. Please use this Google Form to provide suggestions. I will create a list of the results. Loading… The Results Make It Stick – Ditch Ineffective Learning Practices
Add a $: Context Matters
Add Context to Lessons Context is not one of the 4 C’s but it should be. When designing lessons I ask myself “why would the STUDENTS care about this?” What context can they relate to? How does the context answer the question “when will I ever use this?” Dollar Sign I was working with my 3rd grader on decimals. She… Read More »Add a $: Context Matters
I WANT My Tech Tools to Become OBSOLETE
When, Not If, Your Tech Becomes Obsolete Whatever tool you’re currently using… it will become obsolete. It will change, update, or not exist anymore. You’ve invested all your time into getting your curriculum into ___ and then you have to start over. An update eliminated your favorite feature or the interface is totally different and you can not find your way around.… Read More »I WANT My Tech Tools to Become OBSOLETE