Technology Integration 360: May 2017

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Selfie Grids

I created a “Selfie Grid” activity for teachers and students. For teachers it was a great way to start off the 30 hour teacher training. Participants created selfie grid that had to be electronically sent to me by the end of the first training day. They were able to collaborate and get to know one another a little better. The “Selfie Grid” for students was a Back to School activity that gave them the opportunity to use digital cameras, a collage creator web tool, and to go around the school to greet everyone.

Teacher & Parent Training

Parent & Teacher training are two things that I enjoy doing. My purpose in life is to teach. Not only do I teach kids, but I also teach teachers, parents and pretty much anyone who needs help and takes the time to heed my lessons or advice. I enjoy sharing my knowledge of technology features and applications

GT Training - Day 5 - Differentiating with Technology

Literacy Night - Coding Activity -- Computer training for parents.

Family Literacy Night - Coding Activity

Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary School Files

At Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary, school principal, Yolanda Salazar-Meave strive to move to a digitized environment. We created a school Google account because over the years there have been many changes to the web hosting services that the district has provided, and this was an alternative to having something stable that would not need to be changed year after year. I collaborate with the administrative team to discuss ways to host the multitude of documents electronically. We began with lesson plans. We host all of our lesson plans on our HBG Google Drive. Every teacher has a Google account and they upload their lessons to their Google Drive and share it with the HBG account. The administrative staff no longer has to physically carry lesson plans home to be checked. They simply log on to the HBG Account and they have access to all of the lesson plans that are to be checked for the week. Lesson plans are share with Support Staff who access them to make sure the same lesson are being taught by them.

We host our faculty handbook on the Google Shared folder as well as all forms, calendars and Weekly Updates. The Shared folder is even used to host a gallery of pictures and videos that are taken throughout the year.

We share the google-hosted video links through Class Dojo, so parents can view the latest happenings at Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary School or can get updated information about upcoming events.

3D Holograms

3D holograms are an amazing augmented reality tool. After learning about this, I shared it with my students and teachers who attended my Gifted & Talented professional development training. It is such a simple activity. Transparencies are used to create a 3D projection pyramid to view the hologram. Then look for a hologram video on YouTube. A note of caution: some videos may not be appropriate for students (so pick some out in advance).

Amazing 3D Projection Pyramid

Online Literacy

There are many online tools that can be used to improve literacy. Student take quizzes after they read library books using Reading Renaissance. They can access online books via Youtube, Bookflix, SafeShare, and District Resource Online.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. They tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Their mission is to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere.

I used Khan with student who struggled in Math and to prepare 5th grade students for the Algebra Track Test.

Using Google Forms for School Election Activities

Google forms is a great tool for surveys, questionnaires, tests, quizzes and elections! We held two elections this year. One for the presidential election and one for student council. For each one we created a ballot. Everyone was able to vote electronically for both elections. When the elections were over the results were just a few mouse clicks away!

Student hold a Presidential Election and a Student Council Election using
Google Forms for an electronic ballot.

Student Created Product Using Google Drive

My students have had the opportunity to utilize their Google GAFE accounts. Students are able to log in to their google drive to store their work, to collaborate with others and to conduct research. Students were able to share their work with me. As they worked on their projects I was able to check their progress and give them feedback and guidance about the work they were completing. Once their work was complete they had access to print a hard copy of their work for display.

5th Grade TPSP Project and Parent Night Displays

Students use Microsoft word to complete science fair project labels. I taught them to enlarge the font and change the color and style to create attractive titles. They were able to search for graphics and clipart to enhance their projects.

Students used Microsoft Word to create an acrostic poem about themselves that was also illustrated with graphics.

They created bookmarks about the 13 Colonies and related to their TPSP Science research.

Some of the 13 Colonies bookmarks created by 5th grade GT students.

4^th grade students prepared a powerpoints about Native American tribes they researched and created graphics that they posted on an interactive Information Chart Bulletin board.

4th Grade GT tudents practicing their Native American Presentation

3^rd Grade students researched about their favorite toys. Learning about the creation of their toy and acquiring a graphic for their TPSP display.

3rd Grade GT students sharing their "Favorite Toy" Project during GT Parent Night

Element 3D

I learned about this Augmented Reality site that is great for Secondary Science. It's great for teaching the Science Elements. I don't teach this in elementary, but I made sure to include it in my training for differentiation for secondary teachers. They were amazed!

Brain Breaks with GoNoodle

GoNoodle for Brain Breaks

Brain Breaks are a quick and effective way of changing or focusing the physical and mental state of the learners in your group. They are also a useful tool for students to use to help activate, energize and stimulate their brains.

GoNoodle helps teachers and parents get kids moving with short interactive activities. Desk-side movement helps kids achieve more by keeping them engaged and motivated throughout the day.

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Using Quiver

Quiver is a 3D augmented reality web 2.0 tool. Quiver can be used for many topics and educational activities. Students and parents are amazed at the results of scanning a Quiver page. This year I had the opportunity to learn about Quiver. In turn I taught students, parents and other teachers about the wonders of Quiver. Primarily we used Quiver for International Dot Day. We used Quiver for National Fire Prevention Week and at Halloween. Students were able to carve out Jack-o-lanterns that turned into a spooky version of their drawing. I also had some classes participate in a writing activity that made their Jack-o-lantern the main character in their story. I was able to share the Quiver Writing unit with teachers who attended the Gifted & Talented training. I gave teachers training on differentiation using Quiver & incorporating writing. I gave them access to electronic handouts that could then be printed or in turn give electronic access to students, so not only do the Jack-o-Lanterns come to life but students can give their jack-o-lantern a personality based on the correlated stories they create. We used Quiver in Science for the phases of the moon. We use Quiver for Social Studies and recreated flags from our state and states throughout the nation. Below are pictures of the many ways we used Quiver.

International Dot Day - September 15, 2016

We celebrated creativity in our GT Classroom on Dot Day! It was our first time. I had never heard of Dot Day until this year. International Dot Day is a global celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration. It began when teacher Terry Shay introduced his classroom to Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot on September 15, 2009.

In preparation for Dot Day, I downloaded a Quiver Dot Day Coloring page ( free) and gave it to my students to color several days prior, although they didn’t know that it would have an exciting purpose on Dot Day! They knew we would be celebrating Dot Day and this was just part of day’s special activities.

On Dot Day my students gained access to BookFLIX through our local library’s web service to “watch the story” – The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.

The story is also available in Spanish – which was great for my Dual language students!

It can also be found on YouTube – however, I liked the animations on BookFLIX better. The Dot is a testable book on Accelerated Reading which is another added bonus.

As a culminating activity I introduced my students to the Quiver App. They launched it and scanned their coloring pages with it. Within moments they were amazed to see their artistic creation come to life! Quiver is a 3D Augmented Reality app. Student collaborated and communicated their excitement by sharing their 3D Dots with one another and tried out the various features of the app. The app rotates the sphere it creates, spins it like a time clock and create bubbles that can be popped among other things.

It was truly a day that brought out the students’ creative and collaborative skills through the use of technology integration. We are already looking forward to Fire Prevention week because Quiver.com offers afree Fire Truck page with an extendable ladder, siren, and water hose.

Quiver: National Fire Prevention Week

Teachers at Gifted & Talented Training get a feel for using Quiver

for National Fire Prevention Week

Halloween Quiver

Both Gifted & Talented students and Day 4 participants created spooky 3D Augmented Reality Jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. This template required everyone to create a black and white drawing, and then bing-- scan it with the Quiver App and their drawing came to life! A great way to instill writing by having students write a spooky story about their Jack-o-Lantern.