 1. Here’s a cool way to check whether your students may have plagiarized part of their essays and writings: the Chrome extension Draftback, which plays back the revision history of any Google doc you can edit—down to the keystroke.  2. In light of October being Special Needs Awareness Month, I would like to share this cool app For students with dyslexia, the OpenDyslexic extension converts web page text into a special font designed to make reading easier. Combine this with Read Aloud , an extension for listening to websites or text selections in spoken form. Read Aloud also works with G-Suite.  3. This week's Halloween breakout is for the older students. It's called Haunted House Goes Dark On Halloween. I would not recommend this one for younger students. The locks are too difficult but this would be perfect for grades 3-5  4. This week's STEAM suggestion is to allow students to create tessellations. Tessellations are easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy to make! And tons of fun! Perfect center for those rainy days or days when mowing is happening and the students can't go outside. Check out the directions here. 5. Friday at the Movies -- I thought you may want some help with report cards. Check out his app. LOL!!
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1. I am working toward my recertification of being a Google Educator. In my studying and review for the test, I was introduced to a new tool from Google called the Science Journal. Check out the website! This turns a student's mobile device into a data collection tool. Since Google started allowing some apps designed for android phones to run on a Chromebook we are currently exploring to see if this is an app we can put on the laptops students use. In the meantime, check it out to brainstorm how you could use this really cool tool from Google. Below is some data I collected. I was measuring the sound intensity of the school. The readings under 30 were taken in the hall. The 33 reading is a normal kindergarten classroom while the 44 was a preschool class. The 52 reading was taken in the gym.  2. Have you ever closed a tab out while browsing that you did not mean to close? It can get really frustrating! Well, Chrome can save the day for you. If you are using Chrome push the following keys at the same time: Ctrl+Shift+T. And once the tab is opened, Chrome even saves your browsing history so that you can go backwards from the reopened tab to the site you were on previously.   3. I have had several people tell me that they like the STEAM ideas. Some of you are doing these with your own children. I think that is amazing! Here is one that you may like, let the students build with the candy corn that looks like pumpkins. I am going to do this with my own grandsons! Have fun!  4. As promised, here is another Halloween digital breakout! It’s Halloween in Spookyville and the mayor has decided that Halloween will be canceled this year. He has locked away all of the candy in town so no one can trick or treat! You must solve clues to open the box of candy before time runs out! Do you have what it takes to save Halloween? Remember, your ITRT can bring in a physical breakout to your classroom as well. We are currently scheduling Jamestown! 5. Friday at the Movies--The Evolution of Search How did Google evolve?  1. Do you have students who cannot type quickly? Wouldn't it be great if we could just let them type by talking? After all, they are good at talking! Well now you can! If you hop on over to the ITRT website and click on Jennifer Harrison's EDTech Digest from last Monday, she has a video on just how to do this. Watch her video and then print out this cheat sheet for a quick reminder. To get your copy of the cheat sheet, just click on the image. 2. Kids seem to know quite a bit about devices these days until something goes wrong. Then all of a sudden, they can't fix a problem. One problem they seem to have a HUGE issue with is rotating screens. Just when you thought you new how to fix your Windows machines when the screen was rotated, we move to Chromebooks and the process again is baffling. No problem, here is the solution for what to do if a student rotates a screen on their device. Push Ctrl + Shift + Refresh.   3. The best STEAM lessons require students to problem solve and breakouts are all about problem solving! For the next few weeks I will be sharing a different digital breakout you and your students can work on together. This week's is called 5 Little Pumpkins. Can you break out? Don't forget that your ITRT can come in and do a physical breakout with you at any time as well!  4. Another STEAM idea involves bringing in some playing cards and using them in all sorts of math games. When the games are over, let your kiddos see if they can build a structure out of the cards. I am amazed at how many children these days have never done this! 5. Friday at the Movies - What a great story starter this would be!! |
Melanie LewisHi, my name is Melanie Lewis. I am an Instructional Technology Resource Teacher for Amherst County Public Schools, located in the beautiful state of Virginia. I LOVE my job! I get to work on my hobby, anything that has to do with computers. I get to work with teachers and students, and I am definitely a people person. Plus, I DO NOT have to give grades. Wonderful, huh? Let me know how I can help you better integrate technology into your classroom. Archives
March 2020
ACPS' 1st computers
I know only one thing about the technology that awaits us in the future: We will find ways to tell stories with it. ~Jason Ohler
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