Google Classroom has rolled out a Rubric Beta. This feature will allow you to create and save custom rubrics for Assignments in Google Classroom.
You can add criteria, levels, and scoring to rubrics and share them with students.
When a teacher adds a rubric to an assignment, students can reference the rubric as they work. After grading, students can see their assignment feedback on the rubric.
If you would like to try this beta program, sign up here!
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Needs some new ideas for student engagement?
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT this week 9/9/19:
1. Do your Google slides need a little spring in their step? A little spicing up? Try these Slides templates that may be "new to you".
1. Do your Google slides need a little spring in their step? A little spicing up? Try these Slides templates that may be "new to you".
2. A Response Choice Board: Do you feel like your students may need more choice in how they are responding to your learning targets? Maybe they needed to engage with the content as creators rather than consumers? Here is an idea from Sue Henry (teacher in Ohio) who used this model at the end of a unit to increase student engagement. Just make a copy for your drive and change the content to fit your needs.
3. What's going on in this graph? Do your students have the skills to read what a graph is trying to tell us? Each month, the New York Times shares a graph without the title and captions. You can access this free monthly activity to give your students as they work to understand, evaluate and draw conclusions about what they see. There are then opportunities for discussions with students from around the country as well. A template is available for driving a discussion about what students observe, wonder and how they would headline the graph. Click here for that template (thanks goes to Alice Keeler for the template).
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Organize your Google Classroom
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT this week 9/1/19:
Is your Google Classroom a HOT MESS? Here are some ways to spark joy in your Google Classroom.
Here are a few tips to help you organize your Google Classroom....
Is your Google Classroom a HOT MESS? Here are some ways to spark joy in your Google Classroom.
Here are a few tips to help you organize your Google Classroom....
- Topics: Topics are like headings for your Assignments, Questions, and Materials. Add a topic with the "Create" button on the classwork page. You can create as many topics as you want (and subtopics!) You can click and drag things on your classwork page under any topic.
- First step is to pick an organizational structure that works best for you.. Think of your classwork page like a digital filing cabinet filled with folders. Topics are what you would put on the Tabs. Sort by week, unit, category, or topic(or a combination)
- Add Emoji's to your assignments. Add an Emoji to your Assignments, Announcements. This gives the students a quick way to identify each post at a glance,
- Install Emoji Keyboard extension in your Chrome Browser. Add an Emoji that fits your post!
- Consistency is key! Find a method of abbreviating, organizing your Google Classroom and keep it consistent. If you abbreviate Ch or Chapter - keep it that way for everything you post. This is help students navigate Google Classroom more efficiently.
Monday, June 3, 2019
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT: Issue #9
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT this week 6/3/19:
1. Looking for something to read this summer? We have some great books for YOU to read- some of the Alex award winners (crossover YA/Adult books) are in stock, as well as the newly released 2020 Lincoln nominees (here is a You Tube video book talk) and our #Weare204 titles are available for you as well. All of these books are, of course, available at your local public libraries and bookstores and online. If you read any, stop by and tell us what you think, and promote them to your students as well!
2. Another example of copyright/fair use violation and a big $$ lawsuit, this time in Houston. Read on, and please be fair with what you use for and with students.
Wondering if the materials you are using/copying fall under fair use guidelines? Here is an excellent article to help you understand. Quoted from this article, "Despite longstanding myths, there are no cut-and-dried rules (such as 10 percent of the work being quoted, or 400 words of text, or two bars of music, or 10 seconds of video). Fair use is situational, and context is critical."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Next year there will be a few changes with the LMC Academic databases. We will be adding some new Gale databases but will be dropping our ABC-Clio Social Studies databases. The Gale databases will replace the content found in ABC and will streamline the research process for our students. We will also be dropping Noodletools, based on the survey I sent out earlier this year. Most of the teachers who responded to this survey used alternate methods of citation resources, the biggest being the free Chrome extension Cite This For Me. If you have concerns about any of these changes, please come talk to me. Over the summer, I'll be making changes to the LMC website to reflect this. I invited you to head over there and see what's new during your downtime this summer. We also plan to bring back our Gale Rep, Kira, to do another Lunch and Learn to familiarize yourself with all that Gale has to offer. Use the summer to gather your questions as you start your planning for students' academic research for the 2019-2020 year!
Saturday, May 25, 2019
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT: Issue #8
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT this week 5/28/19:
1. The 2020 Abraham Lincoln Readers' Choice Award list and our 2020 #Weare204 Reading List is out! We are not advertising this widely, but will once the new school year starts. If you are interested in getting a start on any of the books from the new list. We have them all in the LMC!
Link to the 2020 Abraham Lincoln List
Link to the #Weare204 list where you can also comment/vote on what you think about each title!
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/136182._Weare204_List
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Looking for a way to incorporate having students create digital maps into your teaching & learning? Here are 8 options for ways you have students create digital maps to show their learning in different topic areas. Have students recreate a story character's journey, a war hero's travel, a path of exploration... the options are endless.
Free Technology for Teachers (by Richard Byrne) has TONS of great ideas to enhance your teaching and learning if you have time this summer to investigate more! He's got 12 years of archives to search, and a summer learning institute in Maine, if you are looking for a beautiful place for some summer PD :)Monday, May 13, 2019
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT: Issue #7
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT this week 5/13/2019:
1. Teen Book Finder:
Here is an app to assist you and your favorite Teen readers!
The American Library Association always has lists of the best books and awards books every year. This includes lists they suggest for our Young Adult/Teen population. Did you know there is an app that will allow you to search and browse the ALA lists to help you and your YA readers find something to read? There is something for everyone from a variety of genres.
Find the app here- available for both iOS and Android.Or, point your phone's camera here to link you directly:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Free Audiobooks!
My LMC colleagues alerted me to this great email you can sign up for this summer. Audiobook Sync allows you to download your own copy of an audiobook (for free! to keep!).
Audiobook Sync is available this summer. for 10 weeks. Each week you will get an email that matches up two books that are similar, but different (synced, get it?)
The only catch is that you need to download them within a week to get them free. Once you download you keep it, so you don't have to listen within the week, just download it. Each Thursday is a new email with 2 new books.
This is a great idea for that long road trip you are planning, or just for relaxing by the beach!
My LMC colleagues alerted me to this great email you can sign up for this summer. Audiobook Sync allows you to download your own copy of an audiobook (for free! to keep!).
Audiobook Sync is available this summer. for 10 weeks. Each week you will get an email that matches up two books that are similar, but different (synced, get it?)
The only catch is that you need to download them within a week to get them free. Once you download you keep it, so you don't have to listen within the week, just download it. Each Thursday is a new email with 2 new books.
This is a great idea for that long road trip you are planning, or just for relaxing by the beach!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Tech Tool: Converting from a PDF to a ?
Have you ever had a PDF and needed to convert it something else? Try using https://easypdf.com/. THere are 15 different formats you can convert to/from PDF. You can try changing from a PDF to word, jpg or text, for example. It's super easy.
Have you ever had a PDF and needed to convert it something else? Try using https://easypdf.com/. THere are 15 different formats you can convert to/from PDF. You can try changing from a PDF to word, jpg or text, for example. It's super easy.
Saturday, April 13, 2019
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT: Issue #6
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT this week 4/8/19:
1. Google Slides has added a closed captioning feature when presenting in Google Slides. It uses your computer's microphone to detect spoken presentations and then transcribes in real time. It takes exactly what you say and adds it as a caption of the bottom of the slide while you are presenting.And it is as simple as hitting one button.
All you have to do is open up a Google Slide Presentation. Hit "Present." And then click on CC button on the pop up menu that appears
As you start speaking into your device’s microphone, automated captions will appear in real time at the bottom of your screen for your audience to see.
While closed captioning in slides can help audience members who are deaf or hard of hearing, it can also be useful for audience members without hearing loss who are listening in a noisy room. It also provides visual support for the English language for our non-native speakers (students or parents!).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. We need your help with getting seniors to realize their obligations before they leave MVHS! If a senior student owes any money through their lunch account, PushCoin or the library (Destiny) they will not be able to get their cap & gown. Students can use this link to see what is on their Destiny record and take care of the obligations BEFORE they try to get their cap & gown.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Be careful what you tweet! Or, at least give credit. Our neighbor school district just settled a significant legal situation regarding a tweet on behalf of one of their teachers. Read about it here: District 308 expensive retweet
Thursday, March 21, 2019
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT: Issue #5
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT this week 4/3/19:
1. Having trouble sleeping? Check out this article. You could be reducing your stress by 68% just by doing 6 minutes of something described in this article...
2. Need to tell a story in a compelling way? Maybe you want to create a graphic or a video or a webpage. Adobe Spark is an easy tool you can use to create all those things with ease! Check it out! Look out for a Lunch and Learn about Adobe Spark soon!
3. Spring PD Opportunities:
3. Spring PD Opportunities:
- April 10: Newsela can put current events and texts into the lands of the students customized to their individual reading level.
- April 17: Pear Deck: want to add some interactive and engaging elements to your Google Slide Deck. Learn how Pear Deck can easily make that possible.
- More information is available on TrueNorth Logic
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT: Issue #4
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT this week 3/11/19:
1. Free learning? On Navigating Misinformation? Yes, it's true! Register here for this 4-week online course that you can do at your own pace.
2. Did you realize that the LMC has a brand new, updated website? Information changes often, so check back once in a while.
http://mvlmc.weebly.com/
3. Did you recently read a book that you loved? Tell us, and we'll make a shelf talker for you so that others know how great of a book it is. Click here for the form: Shelftalker/Book Recommendations
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Top 3 from the LMC & IT: Issue #3
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT this week 3/4/19:
Amy & Tania both attended the ICE (Illinois Computing Educators) conference last week. This week's Top 3 will come directly from what we learned last week.
1. Math & Science Teachers: Did you know about the Equatio extension? It is a Chrome Extension in the Chrome Extension Store that will help you to insert equations into google products quickly and neatly, and free for teachers. Premium (paid) features include voice to text, handing writing recognition and more. Stop writing equations like d=m/v and give students power to show work digitally!
2. Looking for pictures and audio for your presentations or to recommend to students? In order to be responsible digital citizens, you need to be aware of Fair Use guidelines (when/how/where you can use copyrighted images/audio, etc.) Please model with your students how to search for and use media fairly. Always give credit and/or ask permission. You can also find this list on the "Create & Present" part of the LMC Website:
Images
Unsplash
Unsplash
PublicDomainPIctures - free, but still have to give credit to the original website
WP Clip ART- free from © and inappropriate images
Morguefile - stay in Morguefile tab so you stay in the free options, tags are defined by the user, so you sometimes get 'odd' results
Wikimedia- Creative Commons section
Waybackmachine's Archive
Audio/Video
Soundbible- sound effects
Waybackmachine's Archive
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Top 3 from the LMC & IT: Issue #2
The Top 3 from the LMC & IT this week 2/25/19:
1. If you happen to find a lonely Chromebook or charger, we can figure out its rightful owner. Please bring any lost Chromebooks or chargers to the LMC and we can take it from there!
2. Looking for lessons for Women's History Month? At Share My Lesson, you can find some really great ideas for women in all kinds of roles! They don't have lessons just on Women's History Month, however, they have all kinds of lesson ideas. Check them out here.
3. Did you know? The LMC is on social media and posts frequently! We also like to re-tweet and re-post about other Metea events. Find and follow us here:
Twitter: MeteaValley_LMC
Facebook: MeteaValleyLMC
Instagram: metea_valley_lmc
You can also subscribe to this blog so you don't miss a post. (see right side column)
Monday, February 18, 2019
Top 3 from the LMC & IT: Issue #1
So... what are the Top 3 from the LMC & IT this week?
1. We have launched an official puzzle table in the LMC. Based on the popularity of this during our "Stressbusters" week in December before finals, we decided to make a permanent home for the jigsaw puzzle table. Most periods of the day you will find a small group of students working on putting together a 500 piece puzzle. If you have any large (500-ish piece) gently used puzzles (all pieces please) please let us know! We are already on our last new puzzle.
2. The Crash Course- Navigating Digital Information video collection is available on YouTube. YA Author John Green narrates several different 10 min. video on different areas of navigating the Internet- fact-checking, fake news, Who Can You Trust?, evaluating photos and videos, evaluating evidence and much more. These are entertaining, full of good information and FREE! Check out all 7 episodes (with more promised) here. Below is an introduction to the series.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)