Bloom into EdTech: The Blog

                 So, we have Webquests , HyperDocs , Choice Boards , Playlists , Interactive Games in Google Slides all utilizing Google Docs, Forms, and Slides as a way to present information and encourage choice and voice for student learning. If you follow my blog, you know that my realm of education has expanded as I have been an art teacher, a computer teacher, an assistant principal, a technology integration specialist, and am now a staff development specialist. I spent the last few months (like many in my position) assisting teachers on how to teach and what tools to teach with during our stint with distant learning. During this time, I facilitated numerous online courses, workshops, webinars for teachers and admin on various technologies and instructional practices for distance learning that include, but not limited to, creating mutli-modal ways to deliver content in which students have choice.  This brainchild of mine...

As part of an effort to incorporate more mind breaks into my day, I have been creating and editing the following Google Slide document that I would like to share with you. I have a feeling that I will continuously be adding so please check back.  You can grab your free copy by clicking here. Upon opening the document, you will notice that there are many slides that have pre-made themes for you to use with your students. You can easily delete any slide you wish not to use in the template by clicking on the unwanted slide on the left hand side and going to Edit in the menu then Delete :   Furthermore, you can edit any of the following tables to meet your needs. You and/or your students can type and change the format of the font or color within each editable table.  The document is completely editable. Please feel free to use the created backgrounds to create a  Learning Menus, HyperDocs, Choice Boards, Play Lists based on your needs. You can easily customize th...

As educators, how do we know if we are doing a good job in providing our students with the best opportunities for the future? We can look at test scores and evaluate data, but are our students engaged? Are they learning? More importantly- are they satisfied? What if we were to create an education that encompassed our students' needs while delivering content that was relevant to them. What would that look like? A little background before we begin.... My current place of employment is a private nonprofit school located in a small suburban town. We have block scheduling, with ELA and Math taking up three periods of the schedule every other day and Social Studies and Science taking up two. I only see them for one period. Sad. I know. In my small corner of the world, I took it upon myself to ask my middle school students a series of questions in an anonymous survey. {I, of course, at first had to explain anonymity to a few to ensure honest results.} It was even asked to be c...

Topic : Gamestar Mechanic: learning how to design a story-based game. Suggested Grade : 6-8 Materials: Gamestar Mechanic Account . Free or paid. It is cheap to have a paid account ($2 per student exclusive education price, and I strongly urge you do. You can survive without it though.) You can set up an institution and track student progress! Pixabay.com or other sites that offer royalty free images. Intro to gaming video:  https://youtu.be/x24KoVNliMk Tech Tips: What better way to teach students about game design than playing a game while they learn? Gamestar Mechanic also allows students to design as well as share their games. This is my third year using Gamestar mechanic as an introduction to game design. Students will learn about the principles of game design: space, components, mechanics, goals and rules, as they learn how to independently design on their own. Gamestar Mechanic takes the stress out of students learning to code and places value on ...

Well, happy summer! I have been spending sometime revamping my lessons (who says teachers get summers off?!) One lesson that I want to include this year is about the history of the computer. This lesson is intended for my 5th grade computer class. You can make adaptions as you see fit! Enjoy! ____________________________________________________________________________ Computer History Class Period: 40 Minutes Classes: 6-8 Day 1: Introduction to computer history Use Brainpop’s video (please note, you will need to have an account) to introduce the topic. http://www.brainpop.com/technology/computerscience/computerhistory/preview.weml After the video, read and discuss the main questions that go along with this video: Who made the first computer? Was the Antikythera mechanism really the first computer? What do we use computers for? Activity: Have the students chose one way technology has changed the way we work and compare it to how it was done in the past. For example, in the past people...

Word Clouds. Those popular little word clusters that make text fun and visually appealing. But how can I use them in my classroom- and where can my students not only create a Word Cloud- but save it as well? Let's start with the later.  Tagul  is a wonderful Website for your Tech Toolbox that has taken those Word Clouds a step further by allowing the user to not only select the shape, but text color, font styles and animation as well. And best of all it is free and (here's the kicker) unlike Wordle , you can save your work. Your students will need an email to create accounts. What can I do with Tagul and Word clouds? Sight Word- Word Cloud Taguls! As part of my curriculum, Kindergartners are introduced to the Keyboard. My lessons start off basic: understanding that the letters on the keys are in QWERTY order and to slowly become familiar with where they are located- and not so much on form. Anyway, we typically practice typing our names and then I slowly introduce sight words...

One of my most favorite topics to teach is the Internet. Many, including adults, think that the Internet and the World Wide Web are two of the same. I typically begin discriminating between the two as young as Kindergarten when they begin to slowly navigate around the World Wide Web via the Internet. It is rather a hard concept for younger students to learn and I love teaching the analogy that the Internet is like the shopping mall, and inside this shopping mall you would find stores like the World Wide Web, email, Instant Messaging, FTP and Newsgroups (amongst others.) In 6th grade we get “connected” to and learn how many users connect to the Internet around the world. This activity is really fun and I would love to share it with you! What you need:  Yarn  Popsicle sticks  These flags here - Please note that this is a Word Document that you can go back and edit when new stats are @ http://www.internetworldstats.com/top20.htm  Glue, tape and laminate to protect those...

 Major Topic: Microsoft Excel Class/Classes: 1-2 class periods NETS for students 3.  Research and Information Fluency Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. \ 4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making   Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources Materials: Microsoft Excel Microsoft Excel Notes (PowerPoint)- Student and Teacher Versions Excel Shopping Budget Tutorial Projector Electronic Whiteboard  Excel Shopping Budget Grade Sheet Motivation: Have Microsoft Excel Open as well as the Microsoft Excel Notes (PowerPoint)- Student and Teacher Versions. Go over the notes PowerPoint while students fill in the blanks. Activity: Make one copy per student of the Microsoft Excel Notes for Student s . Have the Teacher ’s version open in the front of the room. Go over the...