Teaching Skill Set for the 21st Century and Beyond

As more and more devices, apps, and tools are utilized in today's classrooms for learning and instruction, teachers must be equipped with an additional skill set beyond instruction.... basic troubleshooting skills. Most districts are blessed with very knowledgeable and helpful technology departments that provide technical support for teachers. Some areas even have a designated person on campus to support technology and help with technology integration in their classrooms. But there are times when an issue may happen and no one is readily available. What do you do? The following are some basic troubleshooting tenants that I advise teachers on my own campus to try. Not only does this empower teachers to take control of a technology situation, but it also provides great modeling for our students of that great F.A.I.L acronym and perseverance. Modeling tech troubles and solutions is very much part of today's teaching process. Bring on those teachable moments! Yes, some technical issues require calling in the "big guns," but most can be handled with some of these steps. What would you add to the list?

• Logout / Login
• Reboot the device, ie. Restart
• Power Off, wait a few minutes (5 seems to do the trick) then Power On
• After powering off (if you can), Unplug / Plug In then Power On
• Check all cord connections - to the device, to the wall, power blocks...
• Try a different browser
• Completly close out of the app that isn't acting properly then reopen
• Delete then re-install the app
• Is there an update for the app or the device that needs to be installed?
• Is the device charged?
• Check network / WiFi connection

Until next time...  remember to follow your treasure map for learning!

S~

YouTube, Safety & the Classroom

Even back in the old days, the 70s and 80s for some of us, video and media played active roles in classrooms. I remember helping set up filmstrip projectors and wanting to be the one to push the advance button. Today with the many advancements in technology, video, video clips, and images are even easier to utilize in classrooms for student learning. Students are more engaged through visually-stimulating videos and presentations. It is after all, the world they know.

Since YouTube popped on to the scene, anyone can easily create video and upload to their own YouTube channel. Where in lies the problem with safety and inappropriate videos. YouTube has quickly become the go-to for how to do or learn just about anything. For instruction, teachers have been creating playlists of videos for their units and special areas of student interest.  And while there are some areas of concern, technology tools are constantly being created to remedy inappropriate ads and eliminate the distractions of clutter on the screen. 

Google Chrome Extensions I Like:

• Turn Off the Lights - places a light bulb  icon in the Omnibox that darkens all areas of the open window except for the video. Options allow you to change the color and adjust the opacity, plus more.
• Magic Actions for YouTube - places an orange square icon in the Omnibox with options of Cinema mode with no ads or comments, auto ad bock, volume control, plus more.

Web Tools I Like:

• QuieTube and ViewPure/Purify- bookmarklet tools, simply drag their buttons to your Bookmarks bar then, when you are on a video you want to watch, you click and they strip away all the content on the page except for the video.
  
• Tube Chop - sometimes all you need is a small portion of a video, take the URL of the video you want to chop and trim both the beginning and end to what you need. You can then share it via a link or embed the chopped video on your site or page.

I definitely believe YouTube has a place in our classrooms. The basic premise of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is to protect children by blocking access to obscene, pornographic, and otherwise harmful material. Schools and libraries that enjoy a discounted Internet rate must follow certain parameters. Children's online use must be monitored and facilities must provide education in online safety. Also, policies must be put in place for the safety of children while online.Teamed with CIPA requirements (thankfully they don’t require blocking of YouTube), district filters, good classroom management, and continual digital citizenship instruction, YouTube can be a practical, safe tool for instruction.

Google’s YouTube settings for Google Apps for Education administrators provides another avenue of safety to restrict inappropriate content as well as whitelist content for signed-in users. Common sense practices are still a must do for 21st century teachers. Best practice dictates thoroughly previewing materials prior to student viewing and even initial preview on teacher screens before displaying to a whole class. So, in a nutshell, with proper training, practicing professional responsibility, monitoring, and modeling YouTube can be used safely and effectively in classrooms.

Until next time,

Remember to follow your treasure map!

Sydney~

September Days for Inspiration & Citizenship

Two great days for education are coming up soon in September. 

#DotDay #MakeYourMark ~  #ConstitutionDay

     > Dot Day on September 15th: The Dot Club has a wonderful site with resources and an Educator's Handbook for free download. Look around and explore the site! http://www.thedotclub.org/dotday/get-inspired/making-a-mark

http://www.thedotclub.org/dotday/_images/wings.png

     > Constitution Day on September 17th: Constitution Day became a national observance in 2004, when Senator Robert Byrd passed a bill designating September 17 as the day for citizens to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution and learn more about our founding document.  The Constitution Center site has an outstanding collection of resources for educating our students about The Constitution and the importance of being good citizens. Resources are divided into elementary, middle, and high school sections. 

http://constitutioncenter.org/constitution-day/constitution-day-resources/

Fun Fact: At the age of 81, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania was the oldest delegate at the Constitutional Convention and at the age of 26, Jonathon Dayton of New Jersey was the youngest.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Benjamin_Franklin_Coloured_Drawing.png

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/JDayton.jpg

Until next time...
Follow your treasure map where ever it may lead!
Sydney~

Everyone Loves Infographics

View Infographic from
Gates Foundation

Infographics are literally everywhere these days! You can't get on social media without seeing at least one. I can't even count how many infographics I have read, pinned to Pinterest boards and shared with friends and colleagues. Infographics come in a variety of shapes, sizes and types: timeline, data visualizations, flowchart, versus, photo infographics and many more.

"Infographic - a visual image such as a chart
or diagram used to represent information or data."

Creating an infographic on the other hand is brand new for me. Yes, I have created oodles and oodles of posters, flyers, and handouts as an educator and for personal events and activities, but never officially an infographic.

View Infographic from
Enterprise Nation

I can now proudly mark infographic creation off my to-do list. As part of an assignment for a grad class, we were tasked with creating a flyer about ourselves and discuss how we differentiate in education or plan to in the future. While I'm not officially in the classroom, I do consider it differentiation when I plan and create different ways to share how-to's and directions with campus teachers and staff. 

The actual process of creating an infographic is very similar to any other poster or flyer that you may create or have students create. Basic design and color principals are good to follow so that you have a pleasing end product. And there are many tools available for creating infographics. Infographics can be useful teaching tools and for teaching digital literacy. They include the writing process, research, and planning. You could apply Art skills in the design process and Math skills with infographic data. My first infographic experience was quite enjoyable. I'm certain I will continue my jaunt into the infographic creation world. Check back soon for a new Pieces of Eight post on infographic tools, how-to's, and practical tips for integrating into the classroom.

Until next time...
Follow your treasure map where ever it may lead!
S~

Learning happens anytime anywhere

And the Answer Is...

I'm a little late to the Trivia Crack app movement, but after just a few questions I've made it to Level 2 and can totally see the appeal. The game resembles the classic Trivial Pursuit board game where players answer questions in various categories trying to win segments. Categories in the app include history, geography, art, sports, entertainment, and science. It has a fun animated interface, involves challenging social game play with friends, and messaging and chat features. Players can earn achievement badges and answer questions to earn special characters or challenge your opponent.

A really interesting aspect of this app is what they call the Question Factory. Players are able to suggest and rate questions and even translate questions. How cool would this be to use in Foreign Language classrooms?!  I was pleased to see the screen warning about offensive or inappropriate content when I clicked on the Suggest Questions section. 

As an educator, it never fails, my mind always thinks of how things can be applied to learning and the classroom. Which led me to my first thought, why not set up a classroom account and play with other classrooms? Compete with similar grade classrooms on your campus, in your district, or even globally. 

This app is very popular with students as well as teachers. Students are seeking out teacher help and searching the Internet as they encounter difficult questions. Capitalize on this high level of interest and build rapport with your students. Here are a few suggestions to try with your students:

• Begin the day or class with team challenges. 
• Fill in those transitional periods with a few questions.
• Utilize the app for brain breaks.
• Expand on questions with journal writing. 
• Locate images or artists from Art category questions.
• Practice geography skills, locate places, landforms, etc.
• Proofread questions and answers for correct grammar and spelling.
• Challenge students to create questions from class content to suggest for the app. 

Whether you are a trivia game lover or not, curiosity can help the brain boost learning and memory. Try Trivia Crack in your classroom and lead a brain cross-training workout plus learn some interesting facts along the way.

As always, follow your treasure map...

S~

A Saturday Not Wasted

I might not have been very productive during this past Saturday afternoon, but I was definitely inspired and reenergized as an educator. This was my multi-tasking view as I settled in for the live stream of the College Football Playoff Foundations Extra Yard for Teachers Summit that was held in Dallas this weekend. There were so many great moments, speakers, and performances. Celebrations for educators like this should be the norm for all districts, either to kick off a school year or as a mid-way recharge event like this one. You Matter! Don't lose your joy! Celebrate! Enjoy! Be a great mentor! Be a great colleague! We need you! Remember why we do what we do! How would you complete the phrase, "I teach because...".  You can watch the recording of the summit here...   http://www.extrayardsummit.com/live-stream/. I guarantee you will not be wasting your time.

I selected a few key tidbits of inspiration from notes on the summit and practiced my sketchnoting. This is my first official "sketchnote" utilizing the Notes HD app on my iPad.





There were many recurring themes throughout the event, so I thought it would be fun to see what my notes might look like in a word cloud.

Until next time...
Follow your treasure map where ever it may lead!
S~