One thing that never seems to be lacking in edtech is resources. Sometimes, there is so much to choose from it can be overwhelming. As educators, we want to be sure that time that students spend using technology is meaningful and engaging, and that we are not using new technology just for the sake of using new technology.
This weekend I was introduced to a phenomenal resource for K-12 educators looking to integrate more tech in the classroom, Simple K-12.
www.simplek12.com/
I had heard of this resource, but had not had a chance to check it out. This weekend I participated in a free webinar about using Google Suite in the classroom. This was perfect for me, since students in my district have Google accounts, and we are already using Google Classroom, and some other features of Google Drive. Beware, the webinars are Eastern Standard Time! I missed one because I didn't realize this, and I am in California!
One great thing I learned about was the use of Google Forms and Sheets to track student data. I had used Google Forms with my class to conduct surveys, and give quizzes, But, I hadn't really thought about ways that teachers could create a Form to track student progress. Right now, there is a tremendous push, understandably so, to make teaching data driven. By tracking student progress using Google Forms and Sheets, teachers can make better decisions about how to use instructional time.
I also learned about a TON of different Chrome extensions that enhance instruction and engage students. I'll definitely need to revisit these over our Thanksgiving break.
The webinar I missed was about Google Slides, which I am wanting to get more comfortable with. I want to learn more about creating a shared presentation, where each student can add a slide. Seems like it should be easy enough, but as with anything that we are using with students, we as teachers want to be crystal clear on our learning objectives and lesson procedures. So, adding that my edtech to-do list as well.
Have a great week everybody!
I can't believe Thanksgiving break is only one week away! Over the break I want to keep trying to improve my spreadsheet skills. I'm wanting to use spreadsheets more to teach computational thinking to my students. I'm also wanting to improve my ability to create presentations using Google Slides, and learn how to create a collaborative slideshow that all my students can contribute to. Other than that, I want to learn more about Scratch.