Communication – Page 2 – Elanco Elementary Instructional Technology

We’re baaa-aaack!

elemtech Communication, Google Apps, Professional Development August 24, 2015Communication, Google Classroom, Remind 0 Comment

Well, almost!

Welcome to the 2015-16 school year! I’ve enjoyed working with many of you over the past few weeks. I appreciate your energy and enthusiasm learning to integrate technology into your teaching and classroom activities!

Get “Remind”ed!

This year I’m going to use a service called Remind to send out snippets of useful information, tips & tricks, and more via text or email. It’s an opt-in service, so you can choose to receive the updates and how you prefer to receive them. Many of our schools are using Remind to update staff on emergency school closings. It works the same way, and this past year I subscribed to Kyle Pace’s PD classroom via Remind and thought it was such an easy way to use the platform to support professional learning!

To join the Mrs. Hilt’s Tech Tidbits Remind class, follow these instructions:

Here are the instructions in PDF format, including how to subscribe via email: HiltRemindinstructions

Google Classroom Updates!

Today Google announced some updates to Google Classroom, including the ability to post questions, post assignments with no due date, and, most excitedly, CALENDAR INTEGRATION is on the way! These productivity updates (and more!) will help make Google Classroom a fantastic tool to use to organize teaching and learning activities in your classroom. The Google for Education blog has all of the details here!

I look forward to working with you this year! Don’t forget to check out the Wired Wednesdays schedule, which kicks off September 9!

Photo Credit: courambel via Compfight cc

Summer Updates 2015!

elemtech Communication, Digital Citizenship, Google Apps, Professional Development, Resources, Updates July 22, 2015August 20, 2015 0 Comment

We are well into July, and it’s less than one month until our opening inservice day! I hope you’re all enjoying a summer filled with relaxation, time with family and friends, and lots of smiles.

Below are some updates from elementary instructional technology. It would be very beneficial for you to take some time over the next few weeks to read through the information listed here. Please don’t hesitate to email me with any questions!

Elementary Instructional Tech Info 2015-16 – This document has many “need to knows” for elementary teachers for the new year, including the digital citizenship pledge and kick off lesson we’re asking all teachers to address in the first week or two of school, info about Qwertytown and other content providers, and resources to support technology integration. (This doc is also a great example of how to incorporate a responsive table of contents into your Google docs!)

August 19 In-service Day – From 8 AM-12 PM on August 19, we will be offering sessions focused on instructional technology and teaching & learning. Many of your colleagues are running these sessions! For those of you new to certain content providers, sessions may be mandatory. Please read the schedule carefully. The tech day wiki and sessions can be found here. Please be patient and check back if a session you’re interested in does not yet have a session description listed.

August 21 – Get Googly!

On August 21, I will be hosting Google-centric training sessions at Brecknock Elementary School for all elementary staff. The sessions will cover a variety of Google Drive/Docs must-knows, Google Classroom info, Google Chrome tips and tricks, and best practices for staying organized and using Google Apps to its fullest potential. Choose the session that best meets your needs, and/or stay for all three! Topics may vary during the sessions based upon the needs of attendees. Register for these sessions in My Learning Plan, found in the District Catalog!

9:00-10:00 AM – Rookies – Google Drive basics, organizing files and folders, sharing and collaborating, the basics of Docs, Slides, Forms. Intro to Google Chrome and its features.

10:00-11:00 AM – Seasoned Players – You’re comfortable and familiar with the basics of Drive and the productivity suite. We’ll look at Research Tools in Docs & Slides and ways to promote collaboration in your classroom, and Forms for formative assessment. Google Classroom basics will be reviewed for use with supporting rotational learning in your classroom.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Veterans – You know the basics that GAFE can offer, but how can you more meaningfully integrate the suite into your work with students? We’ll look at going deeper with Google Chrome using apps and extensions, and the use of Google Calendar to promote home-school communication via your Edublogs site, and advanced options like using Flubaroo to self-grade Google Form assessments and other Drive add-ons.

Wired Wednesdays – This year I’ll be offering digital learning workshops on scheduled Wednesdays from 4-5 PM. Please click here to learn more! Hope to see you there!

Want to stay updated on the latest posts shared on this blog? Enter your email address in the Subscribe to this Blog box to the right and never miss a post! You can also subscribe via RSS in your Outlook inbox. This is the space where I share information about instructional tech throughout the year, and the pages along the top navigation bar will lead you to information about the content providers and other digital resources we use here at Elanco.

Photo Credit: mountainpete via Compfight cc

Spring Happenings

elemtech Communication, Connected Learning, Creation, Digital Citizenship, Resources April 8, 2015April 9, 2015Digital Citizenship, Edublogs, Storybird 0 Comment

April is Poetry Month!

It’s the perfect time to have your students compose and share their creative writing! Storybird is one way to support students’ literary creations. With Storybird, students can build poetry, longform, or chapter book creations. Sets of stunning illustrations will inspire students to include creative details in their writing. I can help you set up your classroom accounts and show you how to manage student projects. Learn more about how Storybird is celebrating Poetry Month! There’s even a #dailylark challenge so your students can participate in the literary fun!

Digital Citizenship Lessons

Digital citizenship lessons in grades 1-6 have begun this spring during computer lab special. It is always exciting for me to spend time with students and learn about the ways they’re using digital technologies to create, communicate, and collaborate in their personal lives. Through these lessons emerge important conversations that focus on safe and appropriate use of technology, respecting the rights of others, and crafting a digital reputation of which we can be proud! Our lesson materials are from Common Sense Media. You can see the full scope of the lessons they offer here. Remember, while it’s nice to offer these lessons in isolation to give students more direct instruction in these topics, it’s up to us as the adults in their lives to model and talk about respectful, empowering online behavior whenever we use technology with our students to support their learning!

Googly Goodness

Many of you were interested in learning more about Google Classroom to use as a platform for sharing digital resources with students during rotational learning classes next year. Click here to access resources where you can learn more about the features of Google Classroom and how it can support your work with students. Please email me to arrange a time when I can meet with you and/or your team to show you what this tool can to!

Looking for a quick start guide for Google Forms? Look no further!

Chromebook tips every teacher should know

Happy Spring! 🙂 I look forward to working with you and your students!

Photo Credit: Ken’s Oven via Compfight cc

Sharing from Pete & C

elemtech Communication, Creation, Google Apps, Professional Development, Resources February 12, 2015blogging, copyright, google apps, library, literacy, math 0 Comment

Pete & C was held this week and there were a number of great resources shared for all content areas and educators. I attempted to compile some of the highlights of sessions offered to share with you. Peruse the resources below and/or check out the main session listings for additional topics and resources. Let me know how I can help you plan to incorporate some of these ideas into your classes!

Participate in ConnectED Classroom Bingo!

elemtech Communication, Connected Learning, Creation, Resources February 3, 2015literacy, PLN, technology integration 0 Comment

Principal Brad Gustafson shared this exciting activity board for the month of February to celebrate “I Love to Read Month,” and I wanted to pass it along to you with the hope that you could plan to complete one or more of the activities on the board! The activities were proposed by various teachers and admin from Brad’s PLN. They incorporate a number of different technologies and can help enhance students’ literacy experiences! Do not be intimidated by the tools listed- if you are interested in one of the literacy activities, please contact me to plan for how we can engage students with the tasks in your classrooms. We can plan for alternate digital tools if the ones listed are unavailable or unfamiliar to you. Make it about the literacy learning, not about the tech component! This is not just for language arts teachers!! As Brad says,

We are striving to facilitate student-centered connections between authors, educators, and classrooms.

Please email me if you’d like to complete an activity (or two or three!) with your students! I will keep a master board and check off completed Elanco activities. Here’s hoping we can call Bingo!

ConnectED Classroom Bingo Game Board link

“Just one new thing” in 2015!

elemtech Communication, Creation, Resources January 15, 2015blogging, Boardbuilder, digital storytelling, Discovery Education, formative assessment, Kahoot, Socrative 0 Comment

It’s a new year, and we’re settling back into the swing of things, so why not try just one new thing, one new way to incorporate instructional technology into teaching and learning in your classroom? Challenge yourself!

Think about your professional growth goals, and how your goal statements are incorporating the district’s Spartan Digital Competencies. Which areas are you most in need? How can we support you in your professional learning?

Want some ideas? Read the ideas shared below, then contact me to set up a time to meet and discuss and/or for me to assist you and your students in your classrooms!

Help students share what they’ve learned!

Edublogs can be used not only as a blog space for writing, but as a digital portfolio space. Students can share projects they’ve completed, can summarize key ideas and main takeaways from content area lessons, and more. With the ability to embed multimedia into posts, the possibilities are limitless! Students can then view peers’ projects, and you can even connect with other classrooms to promote cross-school collaboration. Your students will be thrilled with the feedback received by an authentic audience!

Write inspiring digital stories!

Using digital storytelling tools, students can share their writing using both their own illustrations (Little Bird Tales) or with gorgeous artwork in the Storybird galleries. I can help you set up accounts for students and intro you and your students to the applications. They’re both easy to use, perfect for even our youngest writers!

Make formative assessment fun!

Kahoot is a very exciting response application that allows students to engage in “game” modes to answer questions with their devices. Play as individuals, or as teams. Create your own Kahoot quizzes, or use those found in the public gallery. Learn more about Kahoot and other formative assessment tools such as Socrative on this resources page from our tech inservice day!

Explore all Discovery Education has to offer!

Teachers can create classes in Discovery Education and assign students Discovery Education content and assignments. One of students’ favorite creation tools is BoardBuilder – where they can combine multimedia and text to share what they’ve learned about topics. Students can search through the quality videos, images, and articles in Discovery Education and add that content to their boards. Here is our Discovery Education resources page to help you learn more.

Earn and claim your badges!

Elanco is using Credly to acknowledge the efforts of our staff members who challenge themselves to incorporate instructional technology into teaching and learning practices. Be sure to read more about Credly and how you can earn and proudly display your badges! Grab some today!

Looking forward to working with you all in 2015!

Tech Tidbits – Turkey Edition!

elemtech Communication, Google Apps, Resources, Tech Tidbits November 25, 2014November 25, 2014blogging, Google Docs, literacy, Tech Tidbits 0 Comment

Click here to access full-screen! Happy reading!

It’s Connected Educator Month!

elemtech Communication, Connected Learning, Professional Development, Resources October 3, 2014October 3, 2014connected educator month, connected learning, PLN 0 Comment

Connected Educator Month officially kicked off this week, and there are many learning opportunities for you and your colleagues around the world all month long!

On the main CEM website, you can find a calendar filled with events to help promote connected learning. Events are hosted by organizations, schools, and classrooms around the world.

Looking to grow professionally through connected learning? The Connected Educator Month Starter Kit is a great place to start. It will provide you with background on the rationale behind this month and plenty of activities to help you begin connected or deepen the connections you already have.

Connecting with others via social media is one way to address just some of the following Spartan Digital Competencies:

SDC 2 – Communication and Collaboration with Colleagues

D. Shares and seeks ideas and resources from fellow teaching professionals.

SDC4 – Model Digital Age Learning

A. Exhibits a positive attitude and approach towards using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity within the professional culture.

B. Models and facilitates effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use digital information resources to support research and learning.

G. Models global awareness and cultural understanding by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital communication and collaboration tools (Skype, Google Hangouts, email, Global Read Aloud, Edmodo, etc.)

SDC 5 – Professional Growth and Digital Age Leadership

A. Creates a personal learning network (PLN) relevant to current professional responsibilities by:

Participating in and contributing to learning with members of local and global professional learning communities through the use of blogging, RSS feeds, education portals, social media and virtual environments.
Striving to become an innovative leader in professional learning environments

Interested in learning more about Twitter to form global connections, or using Google+ to participate in learning communities? Please contact me, either individually or as a team, and we will plan a learning event to help you get started! Don’t forget, while technology helps us connect on a global level, connections within your buildings and district and local colleagues should also be celebrated during CEM!

Other reads and resources:

Connected Educator Month on Pinterest

Edublogs published The Edublogger’s Guide to Connected Educators Month

Consider participating in the Global Read Aloud!

Via my connected colleague, Chris McCaffrey: “There’s nothing powerful about technology, the power lies in the hearts and minds with the people we connect. Social media just increases that circle of influence further than we could ever imagine.”

Get connected today!

Tech Tidbits – Issue #2

elemtech Communication, Connected Learning, Google Apps, Professional Development, Resources, Tech Tidbits March 5, 2014September 8, 2014Tech Tidbits 0 Comment

I hope you enjoy the next edition of Tech Tidbits!

Direct link to Tech Tidbits #2

Introducing The Elanco Leading Edge

elemtech Communication February 27, 2014 0 Comment

Tim Leister and I will be contributing to a new publication for Elanco’s teachers and staff, The Elanco Leading Edge. This interactive magazine was created using Flipboard. If you read using your iPad or other tablet device, Flipboard is a must-have app! It allows you to pull in content of interest and customize reading material just for you. You can subscribe to The Elanco Leading Edge through the app or link above. You can read the magazine directly in your browser. Click the arrow on the right-hand side of the page to navigate through the content.

Flipboard is a free app available for the iPad, iPhone, Android, Kindle Fire, and Nook! We hope you enjoy reading the content curated through this new publication! Thanks so much to Tim for setting up the magazine as another learning resource for Elanco teachers and staff!