Multitouch Geometry iBook

Success! Last year after I attended the Apple Distinguished Educator workshop, I worked with my class to produce a multitouch book targeted towards younger audiences to teach foundational geometric vocabulary.

After quite a bit of time, it is finally published in the iBooks store.

I am very proud of my students for their hard work and effort to create such a valuable tool. Feel free to check out our 2D geometry book in the iBook store.

How to add a vlookup to your Google Form

Tutorial on how to add a vlookup to a Google Form. When you need to add a vlookup to a Google Form you must nest the vlookup formula within an array so that the formula will populate as users fill in the form. Google Forms adds rows rather than filling in existing rows in the spreadsheet which is why it is necessary to nest the vlookup within an array formula.

Spice up your resaerach projects

What skills are important?

• Determining high quality online sites
• Collecting information from a variety of sources
• Learning how to “Google”  and strategic searching
• Copyright laws (creative commons); A Creator’s Rights
• Citing your sources
• Google Advanced Search
• Sharing research in creative ways
• Applying the information you’ve collected to something new; understanding remixing

Digital Literacy lessons folded into research:

• Determining high quality online sites
• Strategic searching
• Citing your sources
• Understanding remixing
• A Creator’s Rights

Research Project Documents (Thanks to Julie Presant at Springer as well)

Project	Details/Skills	Tools	Resources
Newscast, history channel episode, documentary	Create a movie detailing the historic events in the form of a documentary or interview or breaking news story Movie making skills Writing a script Copyright Laws Sound editing	iMovie Popplet iThink	iMovie Guidelines Rock Your World, guide to producing documentaries
Podcast, interview with researcher	Interviewing skills Writing a script Writing insightful questions Sound editing Voice changes	Garageband	Author Interview Project
Research Paper		Google Docs	Research paper folder
Infographic	Using graphic design to convey information, teach copyright laws, explaining information succinctly, determining what really matters	Infogr Blog post on tools to create infographics	Amazing resource on infographics. Infographic Rubric
Website	Creating a website How to convey research in a user friendly way	Google sites
Create an app	Design an app that is based upon your research
Create a company	Pitch a start-up company idea based on your research and what need you are trying to fill, create a pitch to a venture capital company, create a prototype, utilize public speaking skills
Build a model	Create a 3d or 2d model based on your research and screencast yourself discussing it Do a fly through on Minecraft or a simple discussion on Screenchomp	Minecraft Screenr, jing, screenchomp	Article on Minecraft in Edu Minecraft and student learning Civics and Minecraft
Screencast	Create a video series explaining your topic to a younger child	Explain everything Educreations Screenchomp	Resource page on screencasting
Multi touch Book	Create a digital, interactive book about your research	iBooks Author	Example research project by a third grade class on the pioneers Pinterest page on iBooks Author in School
Blog	Blog as if you are the researcher finding and discovering information for the first time	Blogger
Comic Strip	Put together an account of the historical figure’s research in a comic told as a series of events	Comic Life Go Animate 4 Schools	Historical Novel example, but could be adapted to a more research based activity.
Social Media Profiles	Create a Facebook, Instagram, Google Plus account for a historic figure	PPT Google Presentation	Blog post about templates

Privacy settings for student blogging

When working with students on a digital platform, it is necessary to be very aware of privacy and compliance with school acceptable use policies, media releases, and COPPA. 

As a tech coach, I am constantly on the look out for ways to redefine teaching by integrating technology. I poke my nose into the layers of privacy policies, security, and COPPA on a daily basis. To my dismay, I realize that there are often too many cracks in website security for me to even be able to recommend an awesome site to teachers. Digital security is a huge issue, take a look at the blog post on Silicone Angle explaining how Yahoo on is finally focusing on security.

So, I am happy to be able to give a step-by-step breakdown of how to maximize the customizable features of Blogger's privacy settings so that both students and parents feel secure when their students are blogging for an authentic audience. Side now, curious about how to set up Blogger as a teacher, or for you students, or even how to use it? Check out our professional development website page about Blogging in the classroom and stay tuned for more posts about how to capitalize on a blogging platform and get students writing.

Tutorial below on how to set up a very private blog for your students.

1. Settings (all privacy information lives here)

2. Settings, Basic, Privacy, Edit. Here are the basic level Privacy Settings

2a)Change both settings to No

3. Settings, Basic, Permissions

3a) Choose your reader level preference:

***Public: anyone can read if they have the link

***Private: only those who are authors can read (not recommended)

***Private: only those who you add as readers can read (recommended). For example, if each student has a blog, each child can add his or her classmates, teacher, and his or her parents to his or her reader list. This way, parents can only view their own child’s blog.

4. Settings, Click Posts and Comments. See here for more information on moderating comments.

5. Post specific settings:

When you create a post you have other privacy options as well. Click New Post to start writing a post and then options on the right hand side, sidebar.

The iPhone affect, how can we create captivating professional development?

The "iPhone" affect. 

As a district technology coach, my job is to show teachers amazing ways to use technology that allows them to be more efficient and to redefine how they teach.

I want to start viewing my job more like a business rather than like a school. I offer classes to teachers twice a week on a variety of educational topics, but do not have many teachers attending. Why?

I need to market this professional development more effectively so that teachers want to come. My job is to "sell" professional development to teachers, who might not even realize they need it. My job is to market the classes to teachers so they want to give their time after school. My job is to focus on my users' needs, not only on what I want the product to look like.

Our passion for our "product" or rather "professional development" should be evident to all and should spread to others in captivating ways, causing them to pause, rethink what they do, and realize they want something they didn’t realize they wanted before, but are now willing to "pay" anything for it. Teachers' payment is their time.

The iPhone affect, you didn't know you couldn't live without one until you realized how much is changed your life.

Professional development needs to be like that. It shouldn't be a chore to learn, but rather it should totally alter the way in which we teach and how we support our students in their learning.

We want teachers to readily and eagerly giving their time to us in order to learn.

How do you offer captivating professional development in your school? 

Organizing Student Google Docs

Lets Get Organized

Does your inbox flood with "Shared with you" emails from students? Do you constantly have to scour through lists of Google Docs to try to find the one to grade?

Keeping student work organized is essential to making you more efficient as a teacher. Read on for a step by step guide on how to walk your students through organizing their information.

Check out the Naming Convention Document I created to walk teachers through this process as well.

Step 1: Login to Google Account

Step 2: Open Google Drive

Step 3: Click on My Drive

Step 4: Click on Create

Step 5: Click Folder

Step 6: Name your folder Work 2013-2014

Step 7: Click on the folder in the drop down menu on the left

Step 8: Within that folder create a new folder

Step 9: Name your folder P# Last Name, First Name ENG

Step 10: Hover over the folder in the drop down menu on the left

Step 11: Click the arrow, click share.

Step 12: Share with your English teacher

Step 13: Click share and save.

Step 14: Click the arrow next to her name, give her ownership.

Step 15: Move any English Documents into your shared folder named P# Last name, First Name ENG

Step 16: Rename Documents to follow this pattern:

Naming digital assignments (including Google Docs)

(period or number) Assignment Name First Name Last Name

*MS Example: P2 Ancient World Essay Erin Zaich

Step 17:

Email Subject Heading (to make for easy filtering when turning in digital assignments)

HW period number

Example:  HW P2

Emailing Educreations Videos

How To Find the Links to Educreations Videos

Step 1: Login to Educreations on the computer

Step 2: Click on “Welcome, Name!”

Step 3: Click on the title of a video

Step 4: Copy the link that is in the box under the title “Share this”

Step 5: Paste the link in an email and send it to parents.