Thursday, July 20, 2017

NH Google Summit: Day 2

NH Google Summit: Day 2

Thank you AppsEvents, Allison Mollica, & Andrea Ange for collaborating to bring us this fabulous summer PD event.  I have learned, presented, brainstormed, and met some amazing new people!

Session One: Source Investigators

This was my first time presenting this topic. I truly believe that the planning phase of research is often overlooked.  Setting up notes, preparing resources, and discussing source gathering methods is the key to students becoming effective source evaluators. My website has my session slides and resources.  Feel free to reuse as you see fit.

Thank you to my session participants.  Your patience with my first crack at this presentation was fantastic and I'm eternally grateful. I got some great feedback.  A person mentioned that this sessions was tailored for librarians, which was not my intention at all.  This has in fact challenged me.  So what I need to do at Maine Summit is to show how what I do in the library can easily be replicated for a classroom teacher or tech integrator, should they be teaching source evaluation or research.

Session Two: What's Up Google? Google's ELOs

Again, Allison Mollica provided a treasure trove of resources for teaching relevant life skills with Google products. I was amazed at all of the resources buried in Google's training website. Here are all of the ones I plan to utilize sooner rather than later:
Methods for Using These Tools
  • Create a PLN for teachers doing this over 6 months?
  • Can create WHOLE courses for students!
  • After school coding clubs
My brain is still spinning from this amazing session. What I loved about Allison's session is actually her presentation style.  She rapid fires resources, lets us play with what piques our interests, and answers questions along the way.  I plan to show my teachers many of these resources.

Session Three: Reflect

Whoa. I needed this session. I always leave these workshops invigorated and excited, but without an action plan. While I still don't' have an action plan (it's coming!), I was able to synthesize my main takeaways and brainstorm HOW to get these resources to my teachers. Stay tuned.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

2017 NH Google Summit: Day 1

Wednesday, July 19, 2017: NH Google Summit at Campbell High School

AppsEvents put together another great summit for ed tech leaders and teachers.  Each year, as I drive to the summit, I'm eternally frustrated with myself for signing up for more summer PD.  But within ten minutes of arriving at the summit, I'm so grateful for this amazing PLN.

Here's a recap of what I learned today.

Keynote: Joe Marquez

Joe was phenomenal.  He was fantastic at articulating so many of my thoughts. He discussed all of the various reasons why using technology is so crucial for engaging kids. My favorite slide:
Stats of how technology is embedded in today's students' lives

First Session: My First Android App


Great session from Allison Mollica about designing an app.

Things to know about using AppInventor2
  • Must have a laptop/Chromebook to create the app AND an Android tablet or phone to test your app
  • AppInventor2 is block-style programming
  • Two things to understand: You design an interface and then program it.  Just by adding the picture of your cat or the magic 8 ball does not mean that you're building an app.  You have to program the buttons to actually do something!
  • Great resources at on website's explore page
  • Mind blowing moment: When Laurie Prewandowski showed us that within YouTube's video manager, there is a create button that has access to copyright free audio & music files! (see below)

Where you can find the Audio Library in YouTube's Video Manager

Second Session: Genius Hour

Jessica Payeur & I presented about our year experience with Genius Hour. We had lots of great questions about structuring this in a K-5 classroom/library and also about how to handle apathetic or unmotivated students.  Again, we ran out of time; so glad that we had all of our resources online though.

Third Session: HyperDocs, Slides, & Drawings

Joli Boucher was amazing at explaining how a HyperDoc is more than a document with links.  It's flipped learning, personalization, self-paced, engaging, empowering, revolutionary way for teaching today's students.
  • So many uses!
    • Geography, mapping skills
    • Differentiation of curriculum
    • Math: Incorporate png's to embed rulers, protractors for measurements
    • Reading/ELA: Various text, media literacy evidence activities
    • Science: Concepts, incorporate drawing activities, watch videos
  • Use the gutter gray area around the drawing & the slides to give the students their instructions! #genius
  • Joli uses consistent vocabulary in her docs to communicate learning actions:
    • Explore
    • Engage
    • Create
    • Share
    • Self-Assess
  • Utilize Screencastify for students to explain their learning; then embed video directly in activity
  • Need a video in a Google Drawing? Embed in Google Slide then copy+paste into your drawing
This session was a strength as I know get the excitement over Hyperdocs!

Session Four: Drive & Team Drives

Edith Fogarty gave a great overview of Drive & Team Drives.  I love participating in these basic sessions to give me new ways to teach my teachers about Drive.
  • Files in Drive can be in multiple folders!
  • Easy way to move a file in Drive? Select file, hold Shift+Z, it'll pop up the move item window. #presto
  • Team Drives:
    • Must be enabled by domain admin
    • Team drive becomes owner of document
    • Be careful not to confuse the use of team drives with shared folders -- don’t over create team drives
    • Unlike folders, docs cannot live in both the team drive and your drive
    • Team drive creator (likely the admin) can restrict download, print, or copy
  • Team Drive Uses
    • Shared student information; change users of team drive from year to year
    • Centralized forms
    • Shared projects

Demo Slams

Cue the Onyx!

Eric Lawson: Google Street View app takes 360° photos!
Joe Marquez: Turbo Note & EdPuzzle Chrome Extensions power up your YouTube use!
Laurie Prewandowski: Talk & Comment Chrome Extension: Use to record comments; paste link in Google Doc, Slides, etc. comment box for Ss to review your comments!

Who's ready for Day 2?