Teaching with Technology

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

Looking Ahead – 3 Ideas for Classroom Technology

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Hello, all! I hope your summer is off to a great start and, if your school is still in session, or if you’re teaching summer school like me, I hope you’re having a blast doing what you love! Like many of you, I find myself thinking ahead to the upcoming school year before the current school year even ends, and as ideas were popping into my head during the last few weeks, I frantically told Siri to put them in my Reminders! I have a few ideas jumping around about different procedural changes and instructional practices that I plan to implement in the 2018-2019 school year, and I just had to share! Here are three ideas for classroom technology that I’m toying with right now!

Courtesy Mode 
I am a huge proponent of allowing students to use devices in my classroom – Chromebooks, iPads, cell phones, etc. Using devices has become a part of the fabric of our culture, and mobile Internet browsers, social media, YouTube and the like are not going away! However, I am going to implement a “courtesy mode” policy in my classes next year that encourages students to use their devices respectfully. In creating this policy, I’m not necessarily trying to restrict any device freedom that they think they have or should have. Rather, I’m trying to prepare them for respectful device use outside of my classroom, in college, and in their future careers. The policy is still in the works but will include: FaceDown (instead of FaceTime – get it?!) and earbuds out – still coming up with a “punny” phrase for that!

Show What You Know Websites 
One of my goals for the 2017-2018 school year was to offer my students more choice when it comes to showing what they’ve learned. My Show What You Know bingo cards encourage students to create games, essays, videos, graphic organizers, infographics, conversations, etc., but, given the user-friendly nature of the new Google Sites, I’ll add creating a website to the list of options. I’m imagining a digital portfolio that demonstrates their understanding of course concepts. It could be a beautiful thing to behold!

Flipgrid Freakout 
To say Flipgrid is an awesome tool would be a vast understatement. However, I feel like I “underuse” it in my classroom. Next year, I will remedy that problem and encourage students to reflect through Flipgrid more often! Right now, I offer a Flipgrid contemporary issues bonus opportunity through which students can share their ideas and opinions of current events in a grid. Next year, I hope to expand my use of Flipgrid to include reflections on what they’ve learned through instructional videos, video explanations of landmark cases, as well as the current events bonus opportunities. Sounds like fun, right?!

What are you planning for the 2018-2019 school year?

Have you joined the Illuminate book study, yet?! Grab your copy of Illuminate and subscribe to the Teaching with Technology mailing list here to get an invite! The summer learning party starts Monday, June 4!

Thanks for reading 🙂

Classroom Reflections ~ Year 10 ~ 2017-2018

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Hello, friends! I’m coming to you today from my couch, four cups of coffee into my Sunday. Our last day of school was Friday and summer school begins on Wednesday. SO … I’m enjoying a few days of much-needed R&R that includes going to bed without setting an alarm, drinking my first cup of coffee in my jammies (probably the second and third cups, as well!), watching the Today Show in my recliner, getting to work out during the day instead of after work, and probably catching a mid-afternoon nap. Before I dive into the various summer classes that I teach I thought this weekend would be a great time to share with you my classroom reflections from the 2017-2018 school year. Reflection is key to growth!

My Flipped Classroom
A few years ago when my building went 1:1 with Chromebooks, I jumped off the deep end (more like cannon-balled) of the educational technology pool and decided to flip my classroom. This was one of the best decisions I made as a teacher. Yes, it required a lot of legwork on my part, and yes, it required a huge shift in my classroom, for both me and my students. But it has been sooooo worth it! This year, I switched up my in-class flip again and decided to loosen my death grip on the reins just a bit more by designing lessons and units so that students could work a bit more at their own pace. I started each unit by assigning a unit HyperDoc that I made with a Google Site. This included all of the information, requirements, projects, etc., for the unit. For the first unit, I set a due date for the entire HyperDoc – this didn’t work well for many of my students who needed frequent, specific due dates to stay on track.

After gathering feedback from my students about the unit, we made adjustments for the next unit. Students asked for specific due dates and Kahoots, Quizizz, or Quizlet Live activities after each video to make sure they were on the right track. This allowed for whole class or individual re-teaching throughout the unit. It was fabulous – these suggestions were carried on throughout the year and modified as needed to meet the learning needs of my students.

Mission: American Government – Gamified Government 
We also continued “Mission: American Government” this year in which students earned XP for completing missions and leveled up to received “weapons of wisdom” they could use on their tests. Last year, I awarded badges for students who earned at least an 80% on their test on the first attempt. This year, I didn’t include the badge element because, to be honest,  I forgot to print them out for the first assessment, and students didn’t seem phased. They did, however, ask how much XP badges would be worth – maybe I’ll incorporate that into the game next year!

Another component of Mission: American Government and the unit HyperDocs is the “Extend” feature that encourages students to go above and beyond in applying what they’ve learned. Each unit offered students a Hashtags through History extend opportunity, plus at least one other activity that was directly related to the content of the unit. By completing this, students could earn XP – XP not only helped them level up but also helped them earn bonus points at the end of each semester.

The only complaint about the XP system came from my dual credit students who had American Government last year – “why don’t you do XP in our classes, too?!”

The 2017-2018 school year marked the end of my first decade of teaching, the publication of my book, Illuminate, and another year that I feel like I’ve grown as an educator. I’m excited to continue growing to become the best educator I can be for my students.

Coming soon – preliminary thoughts on what to add/change for the 2018-2019 school year.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Why Illuminate? Using Technology to Enhance Learning

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Hello, friends! I’m coming to you today, hopped up on coffee during the last week of school. I know you’re right there with me – submitting grades, tying up loose ends, prepping for summer school, and enjoying the last few days with your students! My mom, also a teacher, always says that there’s no tired like “end of the school year teacher tired,” and she is definitely right! In case you missed it, my book, Illuminate: Technology Enhanced Learning, officially launched yesterday, and as you can imagine, I’m totally pumped to be sharing my book with the world. But you may be wondering, “why Illuminate?” “What will this book give me?” Hopefully, I can “illuminate” (pun intended – ha!) the purpose of my book and what you can expect when you buy it!

When I was writing my book last summer, I tossed around about three different titles for my book, including “Using IT” (IT=instructional technology), “Technology Enhanced Learning,” and “Make Your Classroom Awesome,” none of which really spoke to the message I’m trying to convey with Illuminate. Earlier this year, my publisher and I were on a video call trying to think of a title that would actually fit with my book. An analogy that I use throughout my book is that we can use technology in our classrooms to “illuminate” learning much in the same way we use light bulbs in our homes – to enhance our lives. The name stuck and Illuminate: Technology Enhanced Learning was born!

To “illuminate” my book, let me jump back to the analogy I use. Here’s an excerpt from the introduction:

“Think of educational technology tools as a light switch in a dimly lit room. If you walk into a room without flipping on this light switch, you can probably still accomplish the task you set out to complete when you entered the room. Maybe you sit down to read a book. You stumble around to find a comfy chair, prop up your feet, open the book and settle in to read your next favorite novel. Can you read the book? Sure, although you’ll most likely strain your eyes trying to read the words. Could you enhance your reading experience by turning on the light? Absolutely! When used well, educational technology tools can enhance the learning experience for your students much like flipping on a light switch can improve your encounter with a great book.

You may say, skeptically, ‘well, Bethany, humans have been reading words and interpreting images for much longer than the light bulb and electricity have existed, and teachers taught without using educational technology tools.’ You’re absolutely right! We didn’t start using light bulbs to illuminate our homes because candles or lanterns stopped working. We use light bulbs and electricity that powers to them enhance our lives int eh same way teachers can use technology tools to enhance the learning environment for our students.”

So, what can you expect to take away from Illuminate?

  • Practical tips for using technology in the classroom
  • Strategies to promote student engagement in content
  • Ideas to encourage students to explore, create, communicate, collaborate, and think critically in all classrooms
  • Methods of assessment that promote feedback and growth
  • Strategies to use technology to motivate students
  • Tips on designing meaningful lessons using technology
  • Thoughts on how teachers can use technology to reflect on and grow in our craft

Also this summer, I’ll be sharing the book study companion site for Illuminate!

So — are you ready to use technology to illuminate learning?

Thanks for reading 🙂

Study.com – Great Teaching and Learning Tool!

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*This is a sponsored post, which means I was compensated, either monetarily or through product access, to write this post. All thoughts included in this post are my own!*

Have you or your students ever googled a question or concept and been led to a Study.com page? I have, and before researching and writing this post, I thought, “hmm, this looks like a good resource,” but never explored it any further. Big mistake, Bethany! Study.com provides a full curriculum for a variety of subjects including History, Science, Math, and more, with courses that are created by content experts.

To get started with Study.com, create an account by selecting “sign up,” and choose your role from the drop-down menu. Next, you’ll be asked to choose your goal in using Study.com and then to enter your email address. By signing up for an account, you’ll be given a free 5 day trial of the teacher account. I’ll share a code with you for 20% off, too 🙂

From the teacher dashboard, users can create and monitor classrooms, either by importing your classes from Google Classroom (I LOVE this feature!) or by creating classrooms through Study.com. If you import students, they will receive an email invitation they will need to accept in order to access the course. 

Next, you’ll be able to share assignments with your classes by searching the thousands of lessons available on Study.com. Teachers can search for specific lessons or entire courses to share with their students. These lessons include an instructional video and quiz that teachers can assign to their students directly from the lesson page (no need to navigate back and forth or between multiple windows). Teachers can also view the course the lesson comes from, again all from the same screen, and can print the resources and quizzes from their lesson.

While viewing instructional videos, students can take notes within Study.com and navigate between the current lesson and others within the course.

Study.com also provides students with a wealth of resources covering topics such as study skills, applying for scholarships, getting into college, ACT/SAT Prep, job projections, creating resumes, landing a job, and so much more! Teachers can also use this great resource for professional development, studying for certification exams, to brush up on content, or to learn something new!

Everyone can find something to learn at Study.com! If you’re interested in using Study.com resources to supplement your students’ learning, flip your classroom, or to encourage your students (or you!) to learn something new, be sure to use the code TeachingWithTech18 to receive 20% off of the membership fee for the first three months! (This coupon code must be used before 9/1/2018)

How do you use Study.com resources?

Thanks for reading 🙂

Apps to Remind and Organize – Teacher Sanity Savers

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Hello, friends! This week has been an exhausting blur of standardized test review and administration (ew), finishing up lessons in dual credit, assigning study guides, and trying to make the most of the limited amount of time I have left with my students. This time of year always seems to go so fast – I feel like once we hit April, I’m in overdrive, trying to accomplish all the things, and it seems like my mind is involved in an intense pinball game. I sit down during my planning period, ready to seize the day, chug my coffee, provide feedback, grade summative assessments, design formative assessments, answer emails, etc. Then, a random thought pops into my head – did I submit my pre and post assessment results? Did I email my daughter’s teacher? Did I remember to sign her assignment book? Did my husband grab the girls’ backpacks before he took them to school since I came early for a meeting? See what I mean? My brain is like a pinball machine … sometimes, I feel like I’m playing a game of whack-a-mole trying to squash the distractions that are rattling around in my head. I KNOW you feel my pain, friends. We all lose our minds a tad during the end of the year. I really don’t know where I’d be without my sanity-saving reminder and organization apps.

“Hey, Siri” or Google Assistant
You know that pinball game feeling I described? When I have that feeling, I whip out my phone and say, “hey, Siri, remind me to …” and she adds whatever is bouncing around in my teacher-brain to my Reminder app on my phone, which also syncs to my MacBook and my iPad. So, no matter what tool I’m using throughout the day, I’m always reminded of what I need to do. My brain is succumbing to end-of-the-year-teacher brain so much that I asked Siri this morning to remind me to switch the wash. Siri, of course, isn’t perfect and doesn’t replace the mass of post-it notes that I have all over my desk at work 🙂

Google Assistant is another great reminder/organization app that is gaining quite a bit of popularity. I read yesterday that Google Assistant will be able to schedule appointments for app users. Google Assistant users simply ask the app to make an appointment during a specific time and the Assistant actually calls the establishment and has a conversation with the person on the other end. That is pretty darn cool! I’ve used Google Assistant over the last month in addition to Siri/Reminder on my phone. The only thing that I don’t like about the Google Assistant is that I can’t delete what I share on the app. For example, I asked the Google Assistant to “remind me to grab Molly’s ballet bag at 3:30 PM today” on Thursday, and the app displayed pictures of ballet shoes and people doing ballet. Nice try, Google. Nice try.

What are your favorite apps for organization and reminders?

Thanks for reading 🙂