Terrific Technology To Try!: Week 4: Summer Blog Challenge

Hello there!  Welcome to another weekly installment of this Summer Blog Challenge!  Thank you for visiting today!

This post is week 4 of 8 in the #8WeeksofSummer Blog Challenge for educators.

Screencastify!

While we were fulltime remote and later in hybrid learning (from September until the end of March), I read a chapter from a book every day as part of "At Home Work."   I borrowed ebooks from my local library.  I would then read a chapter and record as I read on Screenscastify.  To ensure the kids had listened and understood, I made quizzes.  I would screenshot (I bet I have broken a lot of copyright laws) a passage and ask a question on a Google Form.

     Here is an example from a Poppleton book.  I love and cannot live without the snipping tool which allows me to make these screenshots.  I still use the snipping tool and highly recommend checking it out if you have not used it!

       Thanks to all my videos, I got recognized in my district by Screencastify.  This is the first time I am telling anyone about this because I don't think my family would even understand (even though they hear me reading and acting out the voices).

Next up is:  More About Google Forms

     A lot of my At Home Work I assigned was made on Google Forms.  It is self-correcting, and I know right away who still needs to finish work.

     During hybrid learning, I wanted to make sure that all my students read the Morning Message, so I turned that into a reading assignment:

This way all students got to read the message and answer the questions.  I always had 5 questions, and one of them was the answer to the Fact of the Day.  My Morning Message also reviews something we learned the day before.  When we have time, I like to ask questions that relate to what we read in the message.  Reading the Morning Message is the last part of our Morning Meeting.

     You can read more about Morning Meetings here.

More About Pear Deck

     I am a HUGE fan of Pear Deck.  I spent so much time teaching myself how to use this add-on and how to use it in breakout rooms.  Here is a link  to a blog post I wrote about Draggable activities.  

      In addition, you can even earn badges!  Badges must be the new thing because I have created a folder for them!

     As always, I appreciate your visit and comments!  

1

Week 2: Collaboration with Peers and Students by using Pear Deck™!

Hello everyone!  Thank you for popping in to the blog this week as I link up with Hot Lunch Tray for the second week of her Summer Blog Challenge!

This post is week 2 of 8 in the #8WeeksofSummer Blog Challenge for educators.

Collaboration.

     Teamwork.  Creating teaching lessons and materials.  Being on the same page.  These skill are so important to our professional and personal success.  Last year required us to work together in my district.  We met weekly with our third grade team leader, Mrs. Formisano.  She reviewed what material we should all cover that week.  Next year (when life is hopefully back to normal), we will continue to meet once a month to ensure all third grade teachers are on track.

     For twenty years, I worked in person with two other colleagues.  Last year, I only worked with one colleague as there were only two in-person third grade classrooms.  Last year was a difficult and tedious year for many reasons.  Next year I will work with two other teachers again:  Mrs. Sheehan (back from maternity leave) and Mrs. Billings who is joining us from 2nd grade.  I am looking forward to working collaboratively with these two ladies and sharing ideas. 

     One web site I fell in love with last year was Pear Deck!  It allowed me to work interactively with my students during online learning and after.  When the Resource Room teacher would visit, I would do breakout rooms and start a Pear Deck.  It gave us an opportunity to give on the spot feedback to students! 

If you want to read more about Pear Deck, head here to get started , logging students in or Draggable™ Activities. 

     If you have any questions about anything in this post, please let me know in the comments!

     Happy Summer Days are here!

1

Pear Deck Draggable™ Activities

Are your students dragging their feet when it comes to online learning?  Would you like to infuse your teaching with some interactivity?  If so, Pear Deck™ is for you!

I spend A LOT OF TIME making learning activities for my students.  After all my effort, I still have students who are less than enthusiastic.  Enter Pear Deck™!  The kids love having active learning opportunities during remote learning.

 

Example Questions:

 

 

 

(Click here to see this product on TPT)

 

How to make your own Pear Deck Draggable™ Activities?

1.  Open your presentation and the Pear Deck™ Add-on.

2.  To the right ~ under "Ask Students A Question" ~ click on the Draggable™ button.

3.  This window will open:

4.  Choose a color for your Draggable™.

5.  Choose an object to drag:

6.  Add the object to your Draggable™ activity, and you are good to go!  You can create your own activities or:

Here are links to free Pear Decks™ that I have made.  Please feel free to copy them and try them out with your class!

Math Review:  Week 2:  Word Problems

*Would you rather…?

How to Make a ™ Symbol

 

I am adding this last part in because it took me a long time to figure out how to add the "trademark" symbol.  Hopefully, I won't get sued for not using it earlier.

 

Click:  Alt   +  0 1 5 3  

 

Canva

 

I made that banner for my Google Classroom™ on Canva.  The custom dimensions are 1,000 by 250.  Click here to start creating on Canva!

 

In closing

If you have any questions about Pear Deck™ or using the Draggable™ option, please let me know!

 

0

Logging In Students to Pear Deck: Give Them A Link!

Hello there!  Happy Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend!  I am back today with more Pear Deck How Tos. 

                    I made this image at Canva.  If you want to 

                    try making your own graphics, head on over!

*In order to use Pear Deck, you need to add it to your Google Classroom.  You also need to log into the Chrome Browser.  Once you have added Pear Deck, you can take any slide deck and make it interactive.  

How To Give Your Students A Link

For remote learning and younger students, I recommend this log in method.  Here is how to post a link in the chat (where students love to go!):

 

With "in person" remote learning, I tend to adapt my lessons to Instructor Paced.  If you want to go the Student Paced route, you would post the link right in your Google Classroom.

As with everything, there is a learning curve to this.  It takes the students a while to get logged on.  Of course, at least one student gets "kicked off," and you need to repost the link to your lesson in the chat.  

My favorite way to use Pear Deck is to incorporate it with Break Out Rooms.  This way the para can work with students in a small group.  Again, adding this element takes practice.

Please try this out, and let me know how you do.  If I can make the instructions clearer and easier to follow, I would love to know!

If you would like to read my other Pear Deck post, click here.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

0

Pear Deck Perks: Getting Started

Hello there!  It's a miracle:  I am blogging again!  I am really excited to share a Google add-on with you:

I began dabbling in Pear Deck last spring when we went fully remote.  I love how Pear Deck makes lessons and activities interactive and engaging.  It took me time to realize that students can easily log on if I add the link to the lesson in the chat (My students would love to spend the whole meeting in the chat if they could!).  

In order to use Pear Deck, you need to add it to your Google Classroom.  You also need to log into the Chrome Browser.  Once you have added Pear Deck, you can take any slide deck and make it interactive.

This is a new slide deck I am working on in Google slides.  First, I create a slide deck; then I add the Pear Deck add-on to make it interactive.  I recently discovered how to add Pear Deck to the tool bar, but before that, I needed to click on Add-ons to access it:

 

Got Pear Deck, now what?

Open any slide deck.  Then open the Pear Deck Add-on.

Look to the right of your screen, and you will see the Template Library.

I have some free Pear Deck math activities and a "Would you rather...?" activity for you to check out.

In my next blog post, I will detail how to start an actual lesson and get your students logged on.  In the meantime, please try out Pear Deck and let me know if you have any questions.  I would love to help use this amazing resource.

0

Wednesday Online Schedule: The Whole Class Gets Together for our One Weekly Session!

Hello there!  I'm so happy you decided to pop into the blog today!  I want to share some new ideas I have been trying online as well as wish you a happy and healthy New Year!  Let's get started!

Remote Wednesday Schedule When All Students Are Present

We are doing a hybrid schedule.  I see Cohort A on Monday and Tuesday in person while I see Cohort B on Thursday and Friday.  We are all together on Wednesday online so it is a special day.  Here is our Wednesday schedule:

8:20 - 8:30 Check In

8:30 - 8:45 Sharing (2 or 3 students share; I tell them the week before so they are prepared to share something from home that cannot normally be brought to school).

8:45 - 9:15 Making Words.  Last year, Ms. Ross, a Content Specialist, would visit my class once a week and do a making words activity.  My students loved it so I started doing it again this year.  

Click on picture of book to read more at Amazon!

In this making word activity, I share my screen on Kami and give the kids the vowels and consonants.  Then we get to work.  I usually start with one and two letter words, and we work our way up.  

Here are the letters we used yesterday (12/23):

a    a    e        c    l    m    s    s    t

As the kids say the words, I write them down.  Yesterday, I gave each student a chance to say a word.  If they don't have a word, I give a hint:  "What word is the antonym (opposite) of first?"  We end up with quite a long list of words that we sound out, and we talk about phonics, too.  We spend any where from 20 to 30 minutes on this activity.  

9:15 - 9:45 Spelling Test (if there is one that week)/Review that day's independent work/Review new material.

9:45 - 10:15 Inclusion:  Math.  

Pear Deck + Break-Out Rooms = Just Right Math

A para. comes to my class from 9:45 - 10:15.  Plus, there is a full-time nurse due to a student with a medical issue.  Consequently, I divide the class between me and these people; then the students are "relocated" to the correct break-out room.  

During this time, we have been doing Pear Deck that center on word problems, fact families and other math-related topics.  You can click here to check out one for free on TPT!

Snack 10:15 - 10:25

.  

After Math, it is bathroom break and snack.  While the kids eat snack, I read an ebook from my local library or the Internet Archive Library.   Last week I read Poppleton in Winter.  

I LOVE Poppleton books!  The kids LOVE the Poppleton books because they are funny, but they are also easy to use to teach theme and summary!

10:30 - 11:45  Directed Drawing/Cursive (if time)

We LOVE directed drawings!  I always try to connect the drawing to what we are learning in class.  When we were learning about the Wampanoags, I wanted to make a longhouse with the kids.  I could not find an easy how to draw on TPT so I made my own!  Click here to check it out!

10:45 Wrapping Up!

I am often online until at least 11:00 with students who want to chat and show me their finished drawings.  I enjoy this time.

 

11:00:  Independent Work Posted

For independent work, I post my Morning Message as the first piece of work.  My Morning Messages center on academics.  For the kids who are in class, we read the message together as part of our Morning Meeting.  I did not want the at-home kids to miss out on the messages.

 

Example of Morning Message at school:

vs.  Google Form Version

I always have 5 questions on these Google Forms, and they are self-correcting so that I can see what I need to review.  I do know that I absolutely need to review summarizing when we go back to school!

As always, if you have any questions or would like to know more, please let me know.  

Happy Holidays and Vacation!

0