Class Badges: Online Rewards for Students

Admit it. We all like them. Badges! They are everywhere: on papers, shirts, folders, cars, and even online. Class Badges let you make student account to store earned badges for any teacher created even, assignment, action. Best of all, it costs nothing to create and send these inspiring trinkets to your students. Creating an awesome multi-paragraph writing sample and need to encourage them as they work? Create a badge for each paragraph rewarding success in that paragraph's purpose. When a student achieves the expected outcome, reward them the badge! Kids love it (and admit it, so do adults...I can't tell you how gratifying it is seeing all the badges I earn in a Moodle course...).   

So...what type of Class Badges could you use?

• Completing a task 
• Reaching a goal 
• Reward for achievement 
• Reward for behavior 
• The possibilities are endless! 

The best part (aside from being free) is that once a badge is created, you can keep them for later. Each year you add your new class into your roster and start rewarding. All they have to do is log into their account and view earned badges. 

Class Badges is easy to use, and everyone loves getting rewards. These are like “virtual” stickers (and the sticky part never loses tack)!

Here is a sample of some class badges I made:

Log into www.classbadges.com and start rewarding!

Discovery Education Network: Reason to be a DEN Star

I know I have had a number of posts regarding Discovery Education. What can I say, when something is that good, one must share and post about it! Today I was reminded why I am a DEN Star and why the Discovery Education Network is such a fantastic resource. I received a text from my wife (an English teacher in another district) asking if I would get into one of her documents with her. Thinking nothing of it, I logged into the document. She was in the middle of showing her freshman class how Google Docs works. We were having a little "Google Doc" conversation and all of a sudden something magical occurred. I am not sure how she did this (my wife is pretty brilliant) but suddenly the text that appeared caused quite a stir. It was the "Oh my I can't believe I am on the same document with a DEN/Tech hero of mine!". Steve Dembo, a DEN and Tech Guru was in this document showing how collaboration works from Chicago! I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't a little in awe (how did my lovely wife get The (yes...THE) Steve Dembo into a simple demo doc with her students?). Well, all she had to do was tweet that she would like someone to help out and the DEN responded in minutes. How cool is that?

So all this rambling has a purpose (just hang in there!). The DEN...the example above is just one of the hundreds of examples of how other teachers and resources are available to DEN Stars. Discovery Education is so much more than just the streaming video and classroom resources. It is more than the fantastic Board Builder program and online lesson plans. It is People. Teachers. Tech knowledge. Help when needed. Real people who want to help others.

If you are not a DEN Star teacher, click the link below and get started. It is easy to do and you will never regret it. Who know, maybe Mr. Dembo will make a virtual appearance in your classroom!

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/community/about.cfm 

Graphic Organizers: Where Your Writing Starts

Graphic Organizers are important tools for writing. They help students plan out their writing and give direction and planning. There are many apps and web sites out there to use. Below are just 2 that I was looking at while doing the 21 Things 4 Teachers course. Check them out for yourself!

Popplet:

Popplet is a great graphic organizer for story development and other writing. It is easy to use (and has an iPad app). This is a tool to help plan paragraph writing or make any graphic organizer you may need. It offers many options to make it fun and is "kid friendly" for elementary teachers/students.

Gliffy:

Gliffy is another graphic organizer. I don't like this a much as Popplet, but it is another option. It is easier to make things in specific location with the grid lines in the background.

Tagxedo: A Shapely Word Cloud

Word Clouds are fun tools. There are a few out there (Wordle and Tagxedo are my 2 of choice). This post will focus on Taxedo.  This is a lot like Wordle, but it allows users to create shapes with the words. There are pre-set choices to pick from, and it even allows users to upload their own images. Word of warning, images should be pretty identifiable by their shape and not shading or color tone. Basic outline shapes work best. This is a great tool to take poetry and other writing to a more visual level. Below are a couple that I made from class newsletters, policies, and Tech Coach descriptors. 

Check it out at www.tagxedo.com!

Wordle: More than Just a Pretty Word Cloud

Word Clouds are fun tools. There are a few out there (Wordle and Tagxedo are my 2 of choice). This post will focus on Wordle. I use it every 2 weeks in my classroom when we change seats. New groups make a Wordle to show what they like and have in common and these hang above their group of desks. Another great use is writing. Before a student can submit a final draft of a writing to me, they must copy and paste it into Wordle. Then they can make sure that they have not over used any words. Wordle will make the word font larger depending on its frequency. If they have very large words in their Wordle, they go back into their document and choose better words. This is an very easy visual check to see that they have varied word choice in writing.

Check out the fun at www.wordle.net! 

Teacher Board Builder in Discovery Education

Let's face it...Discovery Education is a fantastic program for classrooms. New this Fall was the release of Student Boards. These are easy to use online posters that can have media embedded right into them. Students can now create rich presentations/posters/online projects with all the available Discovery Education content (as well as their own). If you are using DE make sure to set up student accounts and utilize Student Board Builder! The big news is now Teacher Board Builder has been released. Teachers can now set up projects, assignments  and presentations and share them with their classes. Log in to your Discovery Education account and get "Building"!

Here is a quick video on how to start.

Creating Classes and Uploading Students into Discover Education

Discovery Education is such a great resource for classroom teachers. There is so much more to it than just "United Streaming" videos. There are assessments, assignments, projects, lesson plans, and Board Builders. If your school district is a Discovery Education district I hope you use it to it fullest. Start by creating classes in your account and giving each of your students their own log-ins. This will allow them access to all the tools you have access to as a teacher. If you are fortunate to have your students already enrolled into Discovery Ed on a building roster, it is extremely easy to enroll them into your class. If you do not have an uploaded roster, just look at the last few seconds of the clip to see how to manually upload students. 

Check out the video below for help.

Socrative 2.0

I love Socrative. It is an easy and quick way to assess students. You can create surveys, quizzes, test, and exit tickets. It is an easy program to use and has an iPad app for both student and teacher. I have used it for over a year and they just came out with a fantastic update. It offers some great improvements, but at the moment it is still in beta. Give the new version or the original version a shot! 

www.Socrative.com

Charts in Google Spreadsheet

I love Google Drive (let's face it, who doesn't?). It has pretty much replaced my use of Microsoft Office. Google Drive may not be as powerful and have all the toys Office does, but it is fast, easy, convenient and accessible anywhere (not to mention the best aspect of collaboration with others). I was asked recently if charts could be made in Google Spreadsheets. I was pleased to be able to say, "Yes!" and be able to show how to do it. Here is a quick screencast of how to add a chart into your Google Spreadsheet to display data. There are many different styles of charts/graphs available so play around and choose the chart style that works best to display your data.

How to Add Charts to Google Spreadsheet

Digital Passport from Common Sense

Digital Citizenship is at the forefront of every tech discussion these days. Teaching our youth to be digitally responsible is not an easy task. I wish I could remember where I hear this phrase, but it changed the way I look at what I once called my digital footprint. I now look at it as a “Digital Tattoo”. Footprints wash away with rain, wind and time. Tattoos are around forever. We must begin teaching our students that everything they do from posting Tweets and Facebook Updates, to SnapChat images, and blog posts is saved somewhere in the mysterious cloud of cyber space. This is a lot of responsibility; way more than we had growing up. How are you preparing your students for this heavy burden?

What is Digital Passport?

There are lots of sites and resources to help kids learn about their Digital Tattoo. My favorite for elementary students is Digital Passport from Common Sense Media. This is a free site where teachers can create classes and enroll their students. They can then track each student's progress as they view video clips and play interactive games to learn about safe and responsible digital citizenship.

How to Use Digital Passport?

There are differing levels of time investment that a teacher could choose:

1. Basic (just letting the students progress through the games and activities at their own pace.
2. Do a 15-minute lesson before each session (5 total) and a review after students complete the activities.
3. Full integration with pre-made lesson plans and documents (all available on the site) and whole class discussions.

5 Main Activities:

It is free. Sign up and give it a try!

Adding Audio and QR Codes to Projects using Google Drive

They are everywhere. They're on purchased products, magazine ads, posters, store signs, and even your morning cereal box. Those pesky black speckled squares! Those mysterious QR codes! But what are they really used for? What do you do with them and why are they so important? They are an easy and quick way to access a web link, file, document, or a million other things online. Wouldn't it be great if you could have your smartphone or tablet scan a QR Code and play your students' voice describing a project? You can! Here is an easy way to have students create an audio file and attach it to a project. This can be a writing sample they made, an art project they created, or a poster they designed. Putting a student's voice on their work helps explain details and gives even more ownership to their work...and it is really easy! Here are 7 easy steps to do this. All you need is an audio recording, Google account, and internet access!

7 steps to Adding Audio to Student Projects

• Step 1: You will need to get an audio recording of the student describing, reading, or retelling their story/project. This can be done with apps for tablets or a computer program like Audacity or Garage Band. Best output is WAV file (plays better with Google Drive).

• Step 2: Once you have the recording on a computer, the student will need to upload this audio file to their Google Drive. I suggest creating a folder for Audio Files. 

• Step 3: Share the audio file. I recommend making the file viewable to anyone with the link.

• Step 4: Copy the link and paste it into a QR code making site. I use http://qrcode.kaywa.com because it is easy and free. This will generate the QR code image. Save this to your desktop.

• Step 5: Attach this image to your project. You may have to print this out or insert it as an image in your document.

• Step 6: Display the final project and have others use a scanning app (like Scan for Android or Scan for Apple) to hear your audio.

• Step 7: Sit back and look like a Tech Ninja!

Here is a screencast showing how to do all 7 steps. Watch it and get QR'ing!

Twitter Hashtags Every Teacher Should Know About

Twitter chats are a great way to stay informed of current educational trends. By following the right people and hashtags you can learn great teaching methods, techniques, resources, tools, programs, and almost anything else that relates to the classroom. Most Twitter chats are held weekly at a set time.  They are a good opportunity to chat online with like-minded educators, sharing ideas that work for you, and continue to add/gain from an endless PLC community.  Below is a collection of Twitter chats that are great for all kinds of educators.

These Twitter chats cover anything and everything in education, and represent a great jumping off point for those just getting started in Twitter education chats.

• #edchat – Talk to a variety of educators around the world through #edchat, Tuesdays at noon and 7 p.m. EST.

• #lrnchat – Every Thursday night from 8:30-10 p.m. EST, you can connect with other educators and discuss learning.

• #edbkchat – On Wednesdays at 4 p.m. EST, you can discuss educational books and topics in learning and pedagogy.

• #spnchat – Find out about successful practices in education and education reform through #spnchat Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

• #ptchat – Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST, parents and educators around the world can open the lines of communication on #ptchat.

• #urbaned – This Twitter chat for educators discusses topics relevant to urban education and beyond, every first and third Sunday of the month at 9 p.m. EST.

• #teachchat – Connect with other teachers and find out what they’re doing in their classrooms on #teachchat Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST.

• #teaching2030 – Discuss big picture education issues, strategies, and reform through the #teaching2030 chat, every third Thursday at 8:30 p.m.

• #smedu – Wednesdays at noon and 9 p.m. EST social media professionals, students, educators, and more can discuss using social media in education in this chat.

• #ntchat – New teachers can learn more about their profession with ideas, collaboration, and more for getting starting through #ntchat on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST.

• #educoach – Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EST, you can find instructional coaching for improving education.

• #gtchat – Fridays at noon and 7 p.m. EST, gifted and talented educators, administrators, parents, and students can discuss new developments in developing gifted and talented programs around the world.

• #spedchat – Follow this weekly discussion on issues for students and teachers in special education Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. EST.

Google Voice: An Alternative Number

I am a HUGE fan of Google Voice. I use it in my personal life as well as my teaching life. For those who do not know that this fantastic Google goodie is, let me enlighten you. Google Voice is an add-on already in your Google account that allows you to give out a local phone number that will connect to any existing number you already have. Let's put it this way. You know you have to call parents after school hours or on the weekend. You can call from your home or cell phone, but how many of you think before you dial, "Do I really want this parent to have my home/cell number?" In most cases, this is never an issue, but there is that one time you may regret having given out your personal number. This is where Google Voice is the answer. Once you set up your Google Voice number you have the choice to connect it to any phone you have access to (you can have it associated with multiple numbers). I use my cell number. Then you give this new number out to parents. When they call you have the option in the settings to have it ring to the cell, or just go right to voicemail (this is what I do). But this is even better than just a voicemail. If you the IOS/Android app installed, you get a notification you have voicemail, and you get the voicemail transcribed and played though audio. This is a perfect record of any call from a parent. You can then choose to call the parent back (using the Google Voice number so they still do not have your cell number) and life is good. Personal life separated from work life with the use of a new cell number. Also, if things were to ever get "difficult" you can record and transcribe the actual phone call. I use Google Chrome and there is an extension that lets me know when I have new voicemails and an easy link to view pone call transcripts and texts.

Things you can do with Google Voice:

• Make calls and not give out personal numbers
• Text others without giving out personal numbers
• Record phone calls
• Have parent voicemail transcribed (keep for records)
• Download parent voicemails (MP3) if needed
• Free long distance calling nationwide
• and MUCH more...

There is so much to Google Voice. I use it daily and have come to rely heavily on it. Give it a shot! Below are some get resources to check out how to set up and use Google Voice!

Here are some links to learn more:

• Google Voice Blog
• What's New with Google Voice
• About Google Voice

Poll Everywhere: A Great Way to Quickly Survey Students and Staff

So you are right in the middle of a fantastic lesson. You really want to know where to go next. What do they "want" to learn about? What interests them? How can I get this info and keep them engaged? Pull out a quick Poll Everywhere survey and you are all set! This web site tool allows you to display real time results form your class. All they need is a mobile device (phone, tablet, or computer) and a link form you. They can answer multiple choice or open ended questions. You can even display the results in many ways. This is a fantastic tool to get quick feedback on any type of question you may have for students. There are different levels of accounts from free to paid. For most teachers  the free account is all that is needed. Check out the video below to get a general overview.

Go to PollEverywhere.com and get started! 

Google Chrome: Multiple Log Ins

Ok. I'll say it again. I'm addicted to Chrome! Not the color, the browser. Whew...I'm feeling much better now! But really, who doesn't like Google Chrome? It's fast. It syncs better than any other browser out there. It allows pinning of tabs. The list continues. In this post I will show my favorite trick in Google Chrome: Multiple Log Ins! So...Why have multiple Users/Log Ins? I use Chrome exclusively  but I have a few accounts. I hate logging out of one email to check another account. Chrome has a way to work around this. It allows syncing of multiple accounts into different "browsers". I have 1 for school stuff (Logged in with my Google Apps account) and 1 for personal stuff (logged in with my personal Gmail account). This allows me to keep my life separated  When I click a shortcut to Gmail/Twitter/Google Keep/ect on my personal log in, I see personal email/Tweets/Google Keep/ect. Also, I can have 2 Google Chrome browsers open at the same time so I can do personal AND work tasks at the same time. It also allows different themes for each account. I make sure that all my accounts have very different themes so just by looking at the header I know which account I am in. There is nothing more embarrassing then "tweeting" on the wrong account! The videos below help explain this better. 

Here is "why" to have multiple log ins/accounts.

Here is how to set multiple accounts up!

More information form Google Chrome here:

https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2364824?hl=en

Google Chrome: Pin Most Used Tabs

Ok. I'll say it. I'm addicted to Chrome! Not the color, the browser. Whew...I'm feeling much better now! But really, who doesn't like Google Chrome? It's fast. It syncs better than any other browser out there. It allows multiple log ins. The list continues. In this post I will show something that I just learned (thank you @GoogleChrome). My newest love is pinning my favorite tabs. I know, this does not sound too amazingly new, but there is a bonus to this. When you pin a tab in Google Chrome it not only locks it in so every time you turn on the browser it is there, but it also makes it WAY thinner so it takes less room. By pinning the tab, the text next to the icon is removed. Now I can have even MORE tabs open! Google never seems to stop amazing me! 

So...How does one do this amazing feat?

1. Open Google Chrome and open the pages you want to pin.
2. Right click on the tab you want pinned.
3. Click "Pin Tab".
4. Done!

Below is an image of what pinned tabs look like:

Get more tips from Google Chrome here: 
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95622?hl=en 

Remind101: A Great Tool to Reach Out to Students

Cell phones are everywhere. We are all connected in ways we never were before, as are our students. Many school fight with phones during class time, but that does not mean you shouldn't take advantage of them outside of school hours! Send text reminders, positive notes, and other messages right to your whole class, individual students, or parents with an easy web tool. The best part, they get a text from a web based program, and not your personal cell. Your number is never used as you use the site to generate messages. This is a great way to remind students and parents of upcoming events, tests, urgent messages, or anything else you may want to tell them. Watch the clips below to learn more and sign up!

Remind101 Presentation Deck from Remind101


A Remind101 Overview

Go to https://www.remind101.com/ and get started!

Symbaloo: Visually Sharing Web Links

There are many web site sharing methods out there from emailing the link, to listing them on a web site, to services like Delicious, and others. I really like the way that Symbaloo shares web links. It takes the link and makes it a clickable "button". This allows a visual to be attached to the link. With a Symbaloo account you can create multiple shared collections of links as well. Students can easily find the link they need with the visual cues. I just embed a collection of links on my web site. This way any time I find a new site I want to add, it automatically gets updated on my site. This is an easy way to give students and parents access to links you use often. Below is the Symbaloo I use on my class web site for students. 

Go to EDU.symbaloo.com to set up a free educator account and get sharing!

ClassDojo: Presentation Materials

The post below comes from ClassDojo. Check out the downloadable ClassDojo Presentation Packs. Beautiful, free training materials

Get them now →

We love making things that make your life easier! So we made you some beautiful, free resources to help you: Introduce ClassDojo at your school Share ClassDojo with other teachers Run amazing training or professional development sessions Get them for free right now at classdojo.com/share. You'll find: Posters and handouts Presentations Training and professional development materials

Get them now →

Hope these brighten your day - and your professional development sessions too :) Cheers, The ClassDojo team

ClassDojo: Classroom Decorations Pack

The following post is from ClassDojo about their Classroom Decorations Pack. Download it now and get Dojo-ing!

Beautiful decorations for your classroom

...and a chance to win a ClassDojo t-shirt!

We know how time-consuming and expensive decorating your classroom for the new year can be, so we thought we'd help out - in two ways: 1. We've made you a special gift to decorate your classroom with: the ClassDojo Classroom Decoration Pack! It's full of beautiful free posters, room signs, images, and banners for your classroom - we even threw in a bathroom pass and hall pass! Get it here now →

 

Get the pack now →

 

2. We're running a classroom decoration contest to give you a chance to win a beautiful ClassDojo t-shirt! All you have to do is send a picture of your decorated classroom to contest@classdojo.com by September 13th. Bonus points for creativity - we're excited to see what you come up with! As always, if there's anything we can do to help, just let one of us know :) Cheers, The ClassDojo team p.s. reminder: it's your last week to get your #ClassDojoLove entries in :)