PPS Instructional Technology

Google Slides is an amazing tool.  You can make the usual presentation, but you can also do so much more!   Newsletters , posters, class newspapers, and computer-based manipulative activities are all great ways to use Google Slides in the classroom.  As our elementary teachers use their Chromebooks more and more in their classrooms, they have been looking for ways to create quick formative assessments and activities that they can assign in Google Classroom for their students to complete in order to practice skills they are learning in math, ELA, science, and social studies.  One way they are accomplishing this goal is by creating Google Slides manipulatives that they can assign to their students in Google Classroom. Here are some examples: Spelling Practice Spelling Practice Graphic Organizers Graphic Organizers Telling Time (Hour and Half Hour) Food Chain Place Value Number Charts Shapes Google Slides manipulatives are...

Many of our students have a hard time learning their multiplication tables, but have no problem learning the lyrics to their favorite songs.  Well, what might happen if we were to rewrite their favorite songs so they sing their multiplication tables to the tune of their favorite pop song?  Well apparently this isn't a new idea...Mr. DeMaio has beat us to it!  Check out his Multiplication Song Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb7Q5jsm9eh_fdDPQmVpyp4XRu-raUbHc Using music to help with learning is not a new idea.  We have shared many posts with you on this very subject.  Some of our favorites include: Dr Lodge: 50 State Project and Kinesthetic Learning Videos Flocabulary: Think before you Post (Digital Citizenship) Scholastic StudyJams Also, remember that PPS has our very own YouTube scrubber that will eliminate all the distractions that accompany a typical YouTube video. What are your favorite learning resources that incorpora...

In the last month, we deployed 640 chromebooks to the elementary schools and community high.  The possibilities these devices bring to the classrooms can be amazing and overwhelming all at the same time.  It is our goal, as technology integration specialists, to help teachers create engaging lessons using these devices that foster unique, customizable learning opportunities for all students.  With this goal in mind, Paul and I set out to create videos to demonstrate how teachers, right here in PPS, are using these devices with their students.  The short video below is our first attempt.  It features Todd Chappa, 3rd grade teacher at Lake Center Elementary.  In the lesson, he discusses how he uses the tools Socrative.com and Sumdog.com to help him differentiate instruction in math and make it possible for him to effectively run small group instruction.  We hope you find it useful and that it sparks a fire of inspiration for you with your own students. ...

There are a lot of great resources online for teaching the Common Core.  Unfortunately, it can take more time than we have to slog through all the resources to find just the right one for our grade-level and standard being taught.  Thankfully, Internet4Classrooms has cataloged many great resources.  These resources are organized by grade-level, subject and CCSS.  Check out the activities, games, printables and assessments all ready to go with just the click of a button. Uses in the Classroom:  Great for teachers who are looking for resources to supplement our current curriculum or to provide extra enrichment or remediation on a specific standard or skill. 

The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM) is a great resource when trying to get across sometimes hard to understand math concepts to our students.  It works great on our TECs and students can use it in the labs and on laptops to help them better understand certain concepts.  With resources grouped by grade level (K-12) and Subject (Algebra, Numbers & Operations, Geometry, Measurement, and Data Analysis & Probability) it is hard not to like this great resource.  

Happy Friday All! Today's tech tip brings you a fantastic resource for spicing up your curriculum and engaging students in your content.   PBS Learning Media  has some wonderful videos that are short and on topic.  There extensive library of PBS videos can be narrowed down by grade level, subject, standard, or collection.  The best part about it?  You get quality PBS programming in bite sized chunks for FREE! Are you a middle school math teacher looking for an engaging way to connect with your students on the concept of integers?  Check out this video: Elementary school teacher looking for a way for your students to practice inferring and predicting?  Check out the Detectives Notebook Game . There are thousands of resources just waiting for you to explore.  These great games and videos are sure to help make a lesson go from bland to brilliant! Enjoy!