Teaching with Technology

Using educational technology to enhance the learning environment and increase student engagement!

Online Learning Opportunity

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Happy Friday! We’re in the middle of our first full week of school since returning from Christmas Break – and I’m struggling just a bit 😉 I’m missing my random afternoon naps and going to bed without having to set an alarm for the next morning! ALL THE COFFEE is being consumed!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about our on-demand, everything available at our fingertips society. Earlier this week, for example, one of my daughters asked me what the temperature was in Florida near our favorite vacation spot. If I had asked my mom this same question 25 years ago when I was her age (yeeesh!) she would have said, “well, I’m not sure.” My response was, “Hey Siri. What’s the temperature in Destin, Florida?” Siri’s response was that the temperature in Florida in January was MUCH more pleasant than in Missouri – big shock, right?

While components of our “on-demand” culture can sometimes lead to impatience and a bit of laziness, we can take advantage of this constant availability of information to learn what we want to learn when we want to learn it! I

f you’re like many teachers, you probably aren’t super satisfied with the professional development provided by your school and/or district. PD days might not be focused on areas you wish to improve, or maybe these days are devoted to meetings with no actual professional development!

Wouldn’t it be great to learn awesome strategies to use in your classroom to enhance student learning, and do so in an “on-demand” environment?

YOU CAN!

The Illuminate: Technology Enhanced Learning online course is AVAILABLE NOW! Here’s what you can expect:

–> A variety of discussions surrounding various topics in educational technology

–> Weekly challenges that allow you to practice and apply what you learn

–> A culminating project that you can design to use in your classroom

–> A fantastic community of teachers who, just like you, want to learn how to use technology in their classroom to positively impact student learning!

Sound like something for you? Register today by completing this form to join the first cohort! The class opens Sunday, March 1!

Any questions? Email me at bethany.illuminate@gmail.com

Thanks for reading 🙂

Current Events Article Template

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Happy Sunday! I was home Friday with a sick kiddo and, though I thought I would be able to start planning for my online course (that starts on Monday) while she rested, I didn’t … we snuggled and napped, and I’m perfectly fine with that! While I was prepping for my sub at 6:00 yesterday morning, I realized that one of my advanced government classes was at the perfect point in our unit for a current events article review. I feel like I do a less than awesome job in my classroom of highlighting current events because I just have SO much content! So … I created this current events article template to use not only for class yesterday, but throughout the year for extension opportunities.

It seems as though, in our current political climate, we’re confronted with “breaking news” ALL THE TIME. Quite frankly, it’s exhausting! Instead of telling my students to choose a current events article – which probably would have taken the entire class period for them to do! – I provided them with a few articles from which to choose. While they were reading, they completed the current events article template and submitted it before the class period ended.

Students who prefer to create a screencast, infographic, or other product to demonstrate what they have learned could most definitely do so including components of the current events template.

The articles students were able to choose from when completing this assignment ranged from the recent increase in age to buy tobacco products to the resolution passed by the House of Representatives to curb President Trump’s war powers dealing with Iran. 

If you’re interested in using this template in your classroom, please feel free to do so! Check it out here!

Have a great week!

Thanks for reading 🙂

“Wait, are we playing Family Feud?!” Review Game Tool

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Happy Thursday of the first week back to school! I’m struggling to get back in the swing of setting alarms and not getting my afternoon nap … please tell me I’m not alone! The first two days of the semester in my classroom were spent reviewing content we had learned earlier in the year and trying to remember how to “school.” I was looking for an activity that would help my students review the Articles of the Constitution, which is unfortunately not the most exciting topic for high school juniors to discuss! I knew I had to jazz up the review game to keep them engaged … it’s one of those times when I really wish I had one of those “staples easy buzzers.” Speaking of buzzers …

Enter Buzzin Live!

Using the Share to Classroom extension, I sent my students to Buzzin Live and told them to click “join.” On my computer, I selected “host” and then displayed the join code on the whiteboard. I knew this would happen … I mean, hey, if you see a giant green button on your screen that says, “buzz” what are you going to do? Press the button, right?! And that’s what my students did 🙂

The response? “Wait, are we playing Family Feud?!”

I gave them a few minutes to get it out of their system before I locked them down, so to speak. Buzzin Live gives the host a few different options …

–> Selecting “one buzz only” locks out other players from buzzing in
–> Choosing “play buzzing sound on the host (first buzz only)” allows sound on the host device only from the first student who buzzes in

When you’re ready to start the game, exit the settings screen and pose a question to your class using whatever review activity you choose. When students are ready to answer the question, they tap the green “buzz” button on their device. Their name is then displayed on the host screen and other students are locked out. When you’re ready to move to another question, click reset all buzzers and ask away!

In the event of a clickfest – all of your students keep tapping the green “buzz” button on their screen – simply click the “toggle lock” option to lock all participants.

My students LOVED using this tool for our review game about 10 unconstitutional scenarios! Using the buzzer definitely added an element of fun to our game!

 

My One Word – 2020 Edition

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Happy New Year! Does it really seem possible that another year has come and gone? I’m realizing more and more as I get older exactly how right my parents were when they said, “it goes by quickly!” Heck, I realize every day how right my parents were about basically everything in life … don’t you wish you could share some of the wisdom you’ve acquired in your thirties with your teenage self? But, would you listen? Nah 😉

While I’ve never really been a person to make New Year’s resolutions (I find them to be an added stress to my already crazy life!) I jumped on the One Word challenge a few years ago and found it to be a MUCH more achievable alternative to the, “I won’t do _____ anymore” resolutions. My first “word” challenge was BETTER – I wanted to focus on being better in all areas of my life from motherhood, marriage, teaching, and health. Last year’s word was GRIT, which I think describes my personality very well! I’m constantly on the go, giving my all in all areas of my life which can be pretty darn exhausting 🙂

So … what will the word be for 2020, you ask?

Drumroll, please …

PROGRESS

That’s right, my word for 2020 is PROGRESS, which is a great combination of grit and better. Here are a few other words that come to mind when I think of progress.

-> CONTINUE – I love all of the components of my hectic life. I’m extremely blessed to be the wife to a wonderful husband and the mother to two amazing daughters. This year, I’m looking forward to the continuation of our fabulous life and I’m so excited to watch my daughters grow and learn throughout the year. I’m also fortunate to continue to do what I love on a daily basis – I get to (attempt to!) inspire the future while geeking out about Social Studies. Seriously, where else can I do that and get paid for it?! I will continue to share my passion for using technology in the classroom to enhance student learning with teachers all over the country through my seminars, conferences, and workshops, and connect with teachers all over the WORLD through my blog and social media. What a great life!

-> BETTER – yes, I know I’ve already used this word in a previous One Word post, but when I think of progress, I also think of being better. Throughout 2020, I’ll focus on making progress by becoming better when it comes to all of my relationships – with my husband, my daughters, my family and friends, and with God. Words like “better” and “progress’ imply that a person is already doing something, and they want to keep doing it, just to a higher level. I think that pretty accurately describes my goal for this year 🙂

This year, my goal is to continue to make progress – to keep going – in all areas of my life. I’m excited for this new year (and new decade)!

What’s your word for the year?

Thanks for reading 🙂

Quick, Collaborative, Formative Assessment with QR Codes

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Happy Sunday, all! It’s been a bit since my last post – between submitting my first draft of my second book, CREATE (another post about that soon!), celebrating our oldest daughter’s birthday, and keeping up with all of the crazy that is our life, I haven’t been able to share a post or podcast episode with you. ARRGGHH! So much to share, so little time to share it! In talking with a colleague last week about ideas for formative assessment/review stations using QR Codes, I realized how long it’s been since I’ve shared a lesson idea with you that involves these lovely little squares. I love listening to my students discuss and reflect on course concepts with this quick, collaborative, formative assessment strategy!

In addition to using a school-provided Chromebook in our classroom, I also frequently allow my students to use their cell phones in class. (Check out my cell phone policy here if you’re interested!) And, when we’re working with QR Codes, my students have found that just using the camera on their smartphone is so much easier and quicker!

There are many ways to create QR Codes for your students, ranging from websites to extensions, but my favorite way to make these cute little squares is by using a Google Spreadsheet Add-On called QR Code Generator.

To create a QR Code review activity for your students, open a Google Spreadsheet and search for the add-on linked above. In column one of your spreadsheet, include vocabulary terms, countries and/or capitals, themes or components of literature, or any other concepts you want your students to review or apply. In my case, my students were applying what they had learned about the powers of Congress. They scanned a code that included ascenario. Using Article 1 of the Constitution, students discussed with their group whether or not Congress had the authority to do what the scenario described. As students came to a conclusion, they completed the Google Form quiz, with a “yes, Congress can because…” or a “no, Congress can’t because …” The conversations that occurred with my students around the concepts they learned in class were awesome! AND … they were analyzing a primary source to find the answers. WOOHOO!!

Definitely give QR Codes a try in your classroom! If you’re looking for more ideas and details about how I use QR Codes in my classroom, be sure to check out Chapter 1 of Illuminate: Technology Enhanced Learning!

Thanks for reading 🙂