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Empowering Diverse Learners with Student-Paced Lessons
Wednesday, June 28th, 03:30pm - 04:30pm
In the era of increasing diversity in classrooms, educators must find innovative ways to meet the needs of all learners. This session will explore how student-paced lesson planning can be used in conjunction with MTSS and UDL frameworks to create inclusive, engaging, and differentiated learning experiences that empower each student to work in ways that align with their unique needs and abilities.
Bonnie Nieves is the author of Be Awesome on Purpose as well as a contributor to EdReports and The American Biology Teacher Journal. She has nearly two decades of experience as a high school science teacher. Bonnie holds a master's degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Educational Leadership and is a member of many professional organizations including MassCUE, ISTE, and NSTA. Her passion for creating immersive and authentic experiences that fuel curiosity and creating student-centered, culturally responsive learning spaces that promote equity and inclusion has led her to establish Educate On Purpose Coaching. Connect with her on Twitter @biologygoddess, Instagram @beawesomeonpurpose, and LinkedIn.
Monday, June 26th, 03:00pm - 04:00pm
In this third session of our re-introduction to the new and improved MAD-learn platform we will be taking a deeper dive into the Design, Build and Test phases. The MAD-learn app creation platform allows students to focus on the creative aspect of app creation first, allowing the students to utilize their artistic sides to create something that will put the "A" in STEAM!
Digital Wellbeing and Healthy Screen Time Management
Thursday, June 22nd, 03:30pm - 04:30pm
With the increasing use of technology in education, it's essential to address the impact of screen time on mental well-being. This webinar will discuss the effects of excessive screen time on students and teachers, strategies for creating a healthy digital balance, and how to promote digital well-being in and out of the classroom.
Mandy Froehlich is an experienced Director of Innovation and Technology, technology integrator, and teacher, whose interest lies in reinvigorating and re-engaging teachers back into their profession, as well as exploring what’s needed to support teachers in their pursuit of innovative and divergent thinking and teaching. She consults internationally with districts and institutions in the effective use of technology to support great teaching, mental health support for educators, and how to create organizational change. She is an author of several books in the mental health and education space.
Getting Started with Google Drive & Docs
Wednesday, June 21st, 03:00pm - 04:00pm
Are you new to Google Workspace? This session will walk you through the most basic functionality of Google Drive and Docs. We'll take you through your first sign in, creating your first folder, and the initial use of documents. We will also review how to use basic features and tools as well as sharing settings and more. Join us to start our Google journey, or to brush up if you are out of practice.
The Power of Positive Psychology in the Classroom
Tuesday, June 20th, 03:30pm - 04:30pm
This course will explore the principles of positive psychology and how they can be applied in the classroom to enhance mental well-being. Educators will learn about techniques such as gratitude exercises and fostering positive relationships among students, which can contribute to a happier, more productive learning environment.
Mandy Froehlich is an experienced Director of Innovation and Technology, technology integrator, and teacher, whose interest lies in reinvigorating and re-engaging teachers back into their profession, as well as exploring what’s needed to support teachers in their pursuit of innovative and divergent thinking and teaching. She consults internationally with districts and institutions in the effective use of technology to support great teaching, mental health support for educators, and how to create organizational change. She is an author of several books in the mental health and education space.
Recognizing and Supporting Students with Anxiety
Wednesday, June 14th, 03:30pm - 04:30pm
Join us for this session where we will equip teachers with the knowledge and skills to recognize signs of anxiety in students and provide appropriate support. Participants will learn about the different types of anxiety, how they can manifest in the classroom, and evidence-based interventions that can be implemented to help students manage their anxiety and achieve their full potential.
Mandy Froehlich is an experienced Director of Innovation and Technology, technology integrator, and teacher, whose interest lies in reinvigorating and re-engaging teachers back into their profession, as well as exploring what’s needed to support teachers in their pursuit of innovative and divergent thinking and teaching. She consults internationally with districts and institutions in the effective use of technology to support great teaching, mental health support for educators, and how to create organizational change. She is an author of several books in the mental health and education space.
Mindfulness and Meditation for Stress Reduction
Tuesday, June 13th, 03:30pm - 04:30pm
This session will introduce mindfulness and meditation practices that can help reduce stress and anxiety in both students and teachers. Participants will learn about the science behind mindfulness, the benefits of regular practice, and simple techniques that can be easily integrated into daily routines for a more balanced and focused state of mind.
Mandy Froehlich is an experienced Director of Innovation and Technology, technology integrator, and teacher, whose interest lies in reinvigorating and re-engaging teachers back into their profession, as well as exploring what’s needed to support teachers in their pursuit of innovative and divergent thinking and teaching. She consults internationally with districts and institutions in the effective use of technology to support great teaching, mental health support for educators, and how to create organizational change. She is an author of several books in the mental health and education space.
Celebrating Flag Day with 3D Design
Monday, June 12th, 03:00pm - 04:00pm
This Flag Day 3D design session will show you how to use 3D design tools and techniques in the classroom for specific purposes. In this course, we will take a look at the brief history of Flag Day and then learn how you can incorporate computer-aided design elements from programs such as Canva and Tinkercad, as students will be able to create different shapes, colors, patterns to create realistic images of flags.
Building Resilience in Students and Teachers
Thursday, June 8th, 03:30pm - 04:30pm
This session will focus on understanding the concept of resilience and its importance in maintaining mental well-being. Participants will learn about practical strategies to develop and strengthen resilience in both students and teachers, including coping with stress, fostering a growth mindset, and creating a supportive learning environment.
Mandy Froehlich is an experienced Director of Innovation and Technology, technology integrator, and teacher, whose interest lies in reinvigorating and re-engaging teachers back into their profession, as well as exploring what’s needed to support teachers in their pursuit of innovative and divergent thinking and teaching. She consults internationally with districts and institutions in the effective use of technology to support great teaching, mental health support for educators, and how to create organizational change. She is an author of several books in the mental health and education space.
Wednesday, June 7th, 03:00pm - 04:00pm
Are you interested in learning more about staying safe in the digital world? In this session, we’ll cover the basics of cybersecurity and strategies for teaching our students to stay protected while working on digital platforms. We will also explore the potential risks associated with working and interacting online. Join us as we discover security basics to protect our personal files and data from unauthorized access.
Using Schoology to Build an Effective Online Experience for K-2 Students
Monday, June 5th, 03:00pm - 04:00pm
Are you currently using or looking to use Schoology with your K-2 students? Join us to learn some essential skills and best practices for helping to design an effective online experience for your students on the Schoology platform. We'll look in greater detail at the elementary experience, building a visually appealing course, and much more! Get ready to provide the best online learning environment for your youngest learners!
Artificial Intelligence in Education: What Do We Need to Know?
Thursday, June 1st, 03:30pm - 04:30pm
Learn how AI is being used in education, its implications for the future, and how it has impacted learning. Then, we'll explore resources for teaching about AI. You'll walk away with a better understanding of the ethical considerations of using AI as well as the benefits of using AI for education. The session will include an overview of what AI is, resources to introduce it to students, some key facts about the use of AI in our lives, and activities & courses to explore. Plus, we'll show you how to explore some useful AI tools and provide AI activity ideas.
Rachelle Dene Poth is a Spanish and STEAM teacher and attorney. She is a frequent presenter at conferences on emerging technology and ways to benefit student learning. Rachelle has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Presidential Gold Award for Volunteer Service in Education. As an accomplished author, she has seven titles currently in print, and has contributed to multiple collaborative publications. She enjoys delivering PD, especially on appsmashing, AR/VR, SEL, STEM, project-based learning, and more.
Dyslexia and Technology - Using Microsoft Tools in the Classroom
Wednesday, May 31st, 03:00pm - 04:00pm
Did you know that in today’s classrooms, it is estimated that one in five students have dyslexia? There are likely far more who have not yet been diagnosed. Join us as we explore the tools in Microsoft Suite that can help educators and families to understand this common learning difference. We will explore these tools so families and teachers can better recognize and support their dyslexic learners, helping them improve their reading and writing comprehension in the process.
Google Tools to Support PBL in the Science Classroom
Tuesday, May 30th, 03:00pm - 04:00pm
Note, this course was previously aired but because of its popularity we are running a recording of this session live at this time. The presenter will not be able to address your questions, but our Professional Development team members will be in the chat box to answer any questions you have. This session can also be found in our Course Library by searching the same title.
Project-based learning, in conjunction with the productivity and collaboration tools available in Google Workspace, can support and enhance student outcomes. In this session, we'll take a look at how a variety of Google Tools, including Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google Arts & Culture can support PBL experiences in the science classroom. These tools can helps students with all types of PBL tasks from research to publishing and sharing.
Enhancing Your Favorite Classroom Tools with AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been growing in education at exponential rates. Join us in this session as we explore how AI has already been integrated into some of your favorite educational tools such as Bing and Canva. Explore ways to use ChatGPT and DALL-E to create differentiated lessons and comprehension assignments. We’ll also discuss some tools that educators can use to determine if students are using AI to complete assignments. By the end of our session, you’ll have a better understanding of how AI can transform your classroom experience and upgrade your teaching practices.
Engaging Students in Citizen Science
There is so much to discover in our natural world — too much for scientists to handle alone! To maximize efforts, scientists often recruit citizen scientists to help. A citizen scientist is a member of the general public or an amateur scientist. While issues with data validity and collection standardization can arise, much of the natural world would go unobserved without citizen scientists. Join us to learn about citizen science and how you can use it in your classroom to provide authenticity in projects, plus learn some tips for keeping your collections valid!
MAD-learn Design Thinking Process
This is our second session on MAD-learn where we will take a deeper dive into the 6 step Design Thinking Process. The team at MAD-learn has created this solution to make it easy for students and teachers alike to brainstorm an idea for an app. By following this step by step process, students will easily be able to build out their app and make their idea a reality. Join us as we look to build something together!
Classroom Management Tools for Keeping Students Engaged
No matter the time of year, it is necessary that we develop appropriate strategies for keeping our students engaged. If students are feeling distracted, excited, or even worried, it is essential that we provide them with tools and resources to stay on track during the school day. Join us for this session where we will discuss classroom management tools that will engage students across grade levels. We will also explore specific ideas for motivating students as they approach the end of the school year!
Creating Scavenger Hunts with Lumio
In honor of National Scavenger Hunt Day on May 24th, we'll show you some tips and tricks for creating and using scavenger hunts with Lumio. Even better, this is a great interdisciplinary activity that can be done throughout the whole school year to promote student engagement.
Serve Your School Community with Sora
We will explore the many features and benefits of Sora by OverDrive, including how it can be used to support literacy and learning in the classroom and beyond. We will also demonstrate how to get started with Sora, including how to sign in, borrow books, and customize your reading experience. Whether you are a teacher, librarian, or student, Sora by OverDrive is a must-have tool for anyone looking to discover and explore the world of digital reading.
Supporting ELLs Through Technology
Technology can be a powerful tool to enhance student outcomes! Join us for this course as we will tackle various technologies that can be used to support your ELLs. Additionally, we will differentiate between physical and digital technology, and how your students can use these devices to complete everyday tasks.
Maximizing Student Success Through Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is an essential component of effective teaching and learning. It helps educators identify areas of improvement, adapt instructional strategies, and monitor student progress. This session will provide participants with practical formative assessment techniques and strategies designed to increase student engagement and help teachers save time.
Bonnie Nieves is the author of Be Awesome on Purpose as well as a contributor to EdReports and The American Biology Teacher Journal. She has nearly two decades of experience as a high school science teacher. Bonnie holds a master's degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Educational Leadership and is a member of many professional organizations including MassCUE, ISTE, and NSTA. Her passion for creating immersive and authentic experiences that fuel curiosity and creating student-centered, culturally responsive learning spaces that promote equity and inclusion has led her to establish Educate On Purpose Coaching. Connect with her on Twitter @biologygoddess, Instagram @beawesomeonpurpose, and LinkedIn.
Designing School Notices with Canva
Note, this course was previously aired but because of its popularity we are running a recording of this session live at this time. The presenter will not be able to address your questions, but our Professional Development team members will be in the chat box to answer any questions you have. This session can also be found in our Course Library by searching the same title.
Classroom or school-wide newsletters shouldn't be boring. Join us for this course to explore how you can keep parents, students, and staff up to date by using creative school newsletter templates available in Canva. With just a few clicks, we will dive into the steps for personalizing and publishing!
Integrating technology into the classroom will help meet students' needs for variety, stimulation, and accessing information. Today's learners are always connected, and the strategies to maximize that connection of technology, pedagogy, and self-care are critical. Hear from X-Factor EDU's four national authors on skills and strategies to make that idea a reality, concluding this series of sessions from the X-Factor EDU team.
Going MAD for Nutrition & Fitness
Today's students should take control of not only their daily nutrition and fitness regimens, but also their wellness in the digital world. In this session, we will look at technology in order to address both issues. Utilizing MAD-learn's app creation platform, we will demonstrate how students can create an app that can combine digital citizenship with nutrition and fitness, engaging them in learning how to better their health in both the digital world and the real world.
Creating Meaningful Annotations Assignments in Schoology
Within Schoology, instructors can create an assignment that allows students to add annotations. In this session, we will explore how to create an annotations assignment as well as the annotation options on the student and teacher side. We will also review the grading procedures once an assignment is submitted as well as how students can resubmit if needed. Join us for a unique annotation experience on Schoology!
Building Inquiry-Based Instruction
In the standardized testing era, students are too often asked to memorize facts and/or recall ideas without being expected to retain a deeper understanding of the information. Depth in learning comes from focusing on critical thinking, evaluating information, and tapping into students’ intrinsic curiosity. This session is designed to support educators in creating inquiry-based lessons with a focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills, both of which enhance student performance in and out of the classroom. Applying and integrating inquiry-based lessons into instruction allows students to be independent learners and helps educators to increase the relevance of their lessons.
Matt Joseph is currently the Director of Evaluation, Supervision, Mentoring and Hiring in Brockton Public Schools. He is the CEO of X-Factor EDU and the author of several books. He has held many positions in education from classroom teacher to principal; this has given him insight into how best to support teaching and learning. He writes articles for national publications and is a frequent speaker at state and national educational events as well as the president-elect of MASCD.
Promoting Financial Literacy in the Secondary Classroom
Financial literacy (FL) should be an essential skill taught in the secondary education classroom. We will explore the concepts of FL and how to promote them within social science, economics, and mathematics settings. We will review tools and lesson ideas to teach the basics of money management, such as budgeting, saving, debt, investing, giving, and more. This knowledge lays a foundation for students to build strong money habits early on and avoid many of the mistakes that may lead to lifelong money struggles.
Fostering Independent Learning in Schoology
Schoology is the perfect tool for teachers to post classroom materials online for students to complete. In this session, we will explore how students can engage in independent and self-paced learning on Schoology. We will dive into strategies such as providing visuals, modeling specific tasks, and designing your Schoology homepage for easy navigation for students. Let's discuss Schoology resources and tools that create a positive learning experience!
Creating a New Elementary Course in Schoology
Schoology is a powerful virtual learning environment where teachers can create and deliver meaningful instruction for students. In this session, we'll focus on creating a new course from the ground up for our youngest learners using Schoology's new Elementary Experience for K-5 students. Discover how to enable the Elementary Experience, set-up and organize materials, add co-teachers, and more!
Impact to Influence (Book Launch)
What does it take to create change that celebrates every student? Learn lessons from inspiring local and international figures who have created their own pathways to grow from impacting small amounts of students and teachers to influencing our field around the globe. Whether within or beyond classrooms, educators and administrators will explore strategies and pathways to make meaningful change for all learners.
As a Digital Learning Coach in Walpole, Massachusetts, Jed Stefanowicz provides job-embedded professional development and instructional coaching for academic technology. Through conferences, workshops, and coaching, Jed aims to engage and build staff/student digital learning capacity, keeping the focus on practice over product. As a 25 year elementary educator, speaker, blogger, and current Massachusetts Teach Plus Policy Fellow, Jed shares his passion for effective tech integration to transform teaching and learning, creating engaging and equitable digital learning environments and experiences that activate, innovate, and motivate digital learning. He is the Author of “Take AIM at Digital Learning: Activate, Innovate, Motivate” and “Impact to Influence”.
Introduction to Instructional Coaching
Even the world's most successful athletes, singers, and business people have coaches. Teachers and students alike can benefit greatly from the collaboration that is vital to a successful coaching model. Instructional coaching is a supportive model many districts are embracing. Join us for this session as we take a look at different instructional coaching models, why they're effective, and how you can implement them in your district. We will also provide many resources to get you started in the world of instructional coaching, and discuss why data should be the driving force to our instruction.
The SMILE (Shine, Motivate, Inspire, Learn, Elephants) model is not about using technology, it’s about leveraging educational technology as a tool for student success. Let’s explore the SMILE blueprint to look for ways to use edtech that supports learning, opens doors for exploration, and creates opportunities to think critically all while covering our content.
Laurie Guyon is an Integration Specialist for Schuylerville Central Schools in New York. She is an ambassador and expert on many classroom technologies such as Google, Flipgrid, Apple, Seesaw, and much more. She is a member of the NYSCATE Social Media Team and was inducted into the Volunteer Hall of Fame for NYSCATE in 2017. She has presented at numerous conferences and taught workshops on integrating technology. Laurie is currently enrolled in the SUNY Plattsburgh’s School Building Leader CAS program.
STEAM Challenges with Strawbees
Strawbees are the perfect tool to inspire students to be creators and inventors! In this session, we will explore Strawbees, a hands-on, easy-to-use kit filled with straws and connectors that students can use to build their own unique creations. We will dive into specific STEAM challenges that students can participate in. From building a bridge to crafting a ferris wheel, you’ll be amazed at how students’ imaginations will soar with Strawbees!
Innovative Teaching with ChatGPT: Empowering Teachers to Enhance Pedagogy, Not Just Efficiency
In this course, Alice Keeler will explore the ways in which ChatGPT can be used to empower teachers to enhance their pedagogy; encourage creativity and critical thinking; facilitate student-centered learning experiences; and integrate PBL activities. She will also discuss the importance of ethical use of ChatGPT by using it to facilitate deeper learning and not as a replacement for critical thinking or simply to make task more efficient. Join us to explore this cutting edge AI tool!
Alice Keeler is a former teacher, mom of 5, expert in EdTech integration & virtual learning, speaker, and author. Alice is passionate about student-centered teaching and using tech to build relationships, empower students, and make learning better. She is the author of “50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom” and “Stepping Up to Google Classroom.”
Using Social Studies to Foster Effective Writing Skills
Writing happens in every classroom and in every area of life! Social studies is the perfect place for students to hone their writing skills as they craft evidence-based arguments, explanations, historical analyses, narratives, and more. In this session, we'll help you discover strategies and activities that you can use to help your students foster effective writing skills that they can use wherever they go!
Celebrating Biodiversity with Google Earth Activities
Let's explore the Earth's biodiversity through activities with Google Earth (whether online or downloaded)! These sample activities can show the diversity of climate and the diversity of the life that occupies different regions. We will even explore the human interaction with the environment and its impact on biodiversity.
Beyond the Bulletin Board: Reimagining Student Publishing
Redesign instructional objectives and outcomes to promote every student’s voice. Build beyond the bulletin board to capture & model processes, showcase & archive products, spotlight performance, and demonstrate practices. Reframe student publishing to showcase student-learning in a manner that is centered in equity, where every student’s voice matters and is heard through interactive print, video, podcast, and intentional edtech content-creation tools.
As a Digital Learning Coach in Walpole, Massachusetts, Jed Stefanowicz provides job-embedded professional development and instructional coaching for academic technology. Through conferences, workshops, and coaching, Jed aims to engage and build staff/student digital learning capacity, keeping the focus on practice over product. As a 25 year elementary educator, speaker, blogger, and current Massachusetts Teach Plus Policy Fellow, Jed shares his passion for effective tech integration to transform teaching and learning, creating engaging and equitable digital learning environments and experiences that activate, innovate, and motivate digital learning. He is the Author of “Take AIM at Digital Learning: Activate, Innovate, Motivate” and “Impact to Influence”.
Getting Ready for Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent teacher conferences can be a stressful time for parents, teachers, and even students, but, it doesn't have to be that way. In this course, we'll take a look at some things that everyone involved can do to get the most out of this critical event! Join us as we see how you can make conferences meaningful.
Digital Safety and the Impact on Student Mental Health
As all schools had to pivot to an online learning environment in 2020, students have been spending even more time online. The increase in screen time by our young people has exacerbated an already existing mental health crisis. From helping students focus on what they can control to encouraging creativity, educators can help smooth the path for students. In this session, educators will learn strategies they can use to encourage students, and their parents, to persevere through an increase in anxiety due to the additional screen time from digital learning.
Christine Ravesi-Weinstein currently serves as a high school Assistant Principal in Massachusetts, USA and previously worked as a high school science department chair for four years and classroom teacher for 15. She began a non-profit organization in June of 2017 aimed at removing the stigma of mental illness and promoting physical activity as a means to cope with anxiety. As an avid writer and educator, Christine became passionate about bridging the two with her advocacy for mental health. She has had numerous articles published nationally and presented at many conferences. She is an MACD Board Member and an author of several books.
Stress Management in the Elementary Classroom
Did you know that April is National Stress Management Awareness Month? For young children, adolescents, and adults, stress can impact life on a daily basis. Join us for this session where we will focus on stress management strategies that are specifically targeted to our elementary students. We will dive into the importance of understanding stressors for this grade band, such as new routines, test anxiety, and social pressures, as well as symptoms of stress among school-aged students. We will then explore specific activity ideas that students can use both in and out of the classroom. Let’s learn how to manage stress together!
Explore the three domains of digital learning: wellness, competency, and creativity as a framework to design instruction, demonstrate learning, and assess understanding. Create authentic opportunities to capture student voice, make thinking visible, build student agency, and reimagine what post-pandemic publishing looks like. Participants will use resources and collaboration to rebuild intentional, engaged, student-centered, and social-emotionally guided learning. This session looks at the components of digital citizenship as a wellness model, identifying tools and strategies to amplify all voices, provide authentic choices, and ensure that all learners are empowered to create their own content.
As a Digital Learning Coach in Walpole, Massachusetts, Jed Stefanowicz provides job-embedded professional development and instructional coaching for academic technology. Through conferences, workshops, and coaching, Jed aims to engage and build staff/student digital learning capacity, keeping the focus on practice over product. As a 25 year elementary educator, speaker, blogger, and current Massachusetts Teach Plus Policy Fellow, Jed shares his passion for effective tech integration to transform teaching and learning, creating engaging and equitable digital learning environments and experiences that activate, innovate, and motivate digital learning. He is the Author of “Take AIM at Digital Learning: Activate, Innovate, Motivate” and “Impact to Influence”.
Strategies to Prepare Students for Standardized Testing
Teachers and students alike may be feeling the pressure of having to properly prepare for spring testing. In this session, we will take a look at the different assessment types, plus test-taking strategies that will make students more comfortable in taking them. Let's grow our approach to testing so we can foster learning and showcase student knowledge.
Moving From Consumption to Creation
We often discuss engagement and students' active role in learning. If you looked at the classroom of the 50s, you would see desks in rows, a teacher in the front of the room doing most of the talking, books out on the desks, and students consuming the lesson. Should schools in 2023 follow this same model? The answer should be a resounding, very loud NO. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. In many of today’s classrooms, we continue to teach by delivering information that students are expected to consume. We can change this! This session will focus on tools and strategies to create active thinkers and learners.
Matt Joseph is currently the Director of Evaluation, Supervision, Mentoring and Hiring in Brockton Public Schools. He is the CEO of X-Factor EDU and the author of several books. He has held many positions in education from classroom teacher to principal; this has given him insight into how best to support teaching and learning. He writes articles for national publications and is a frequent speaker at state and national educational events as well as the president-elect of MASCD.
Digital Tools to Support Students with Autism
Did you know that April is Autism Acceptance Month? Join us for this session where we take a look at some great digital tools for working with students with autism spectrum disorder. We will discuss why digital tools can be so powerful when working with the autism community. We will also provide some activities, resources, and helpful websites! Of course, we will also explore why STEM and multiple exposures are so crucial for these students. Join us for autism acceptance!
Crypto, NFTs, Metaverse, Blockchain... What Educators Should Know
As an educator, are you wondering what these terms are? Do these ideas have anything to do with education? There's an internet renaissance taking place across finance, politics, technology, and other industries, called web3. Similar to the rise of the internet, web3 is changing the way people operate, socially and professionally. Come discover how your web3 mastery could open up new professional doors and empower your students to be ready for the next technology revolution.
Michael Cohen, The Tech Rabbi, is a designer, educator, and creativity instigator. His mission is to help educators around the world reveal their own creative abilities so they can empower students to solve interesting problems and become positive contributors to our global society. He is the author of the book Educated By Design, which outlines his principles for revealing and nurturing our innate creative courage and capacity. He is a national keynote speaker, advisor, and trainer. When he isn’t traveling the world sharing his message, he serves as the director of innovation for Hebrew Academy of Miami, where he leads STEAM and Entrepreneurship initiatives and programs
Creating PBL Activities for the CSDF Standards
With push for computer science concepts to find their way into every classroom and grade level, you might be looking for activities that address CSDF standards in your class. Project-based learning, especially projects that allow students to incorporate STEM technologies, can be a great starting point. Join us for this session where we will take a look at the K-12 standards and discuss hands-on activities that you can introduce to students to get them thinking critically and developing as 21st century learners.
Exploring Advanced Features within Canva
You already learned the basics of Canva in our introductory course, now it's time to take it further and explore even more! We'll take a look at advanced features and dive into additional considerations like project collaboration and recent updates. Join us to explore how you can take your content creation to the next level!
Addressing SEL Through Arts Instruction
Are you looking for unique strategies to promote social-emotional learning skills? Incorporating the arts enables students to express themselves creatively and tap into their social and emotional well-being. In this session, we will dive into the importance of connecting the arts to SEL and explore specific strategies for enhancing empathy, promoting positivity, and monitoring emotions. We will also share specific strategies such as emotion management through dance, utilizing music to create a calming environment, and using acting and theater to teach social skills. Join us for some new ideas to incorporate the arts into your daily instruction!
Create a Gamified Choice Board
In this session, join Alice Keeler to explore two popular topics in education: gamification and choice boards. Choice boards allow for increased student agency and amplify student voices by giving them different options for how to connect with the content. This is also a great way to differentiate learning and allow students to demonstrate mastery of a topic in a way that is best for them. Learn how to make this even more engaging and fun by gamifying the board!
Alice Keeler is a former teacher, mom of 5, expert in EdTech integration & virtual learning, speaker, and author. Alice is passionate about student-centered teaching and using tech to build relationships, empower students, and make learning better. She is the author of “50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom” and “Stepping Up to Google Classroom.”
Self-Reflection Activities for Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-teacher conference season is a great time to give students activities that encourage them to reflect on their work habits, social skills, and identify some of their strengths and weaknesses in the classroom. Whether students are filling out a basic skills form or writing freely about their strengths and areas of improvement, this can free up some time for you before conferences and can be a valuable addition to your meetings with guardians. Join us to learn some ideas that will help get students reflecting!
Looking for an engaging, fun and educational expereience that can merge your classroom curriculum with the building of 21st cetury skills? Than look no further than MAD-learn, the web-based mobile app development program that gives students the opportunity to design, create, and launch an app of their choosing! MAD-learn can be used as a PBL tool in your classroom where students get to become 'appreneurs' following a 6 step design thinking process to create and promote an app of their own design.
Google Tools to Support PBL in the Science Classroom
Project-based learning, in conjunction with the productivity and collaboration tools available in Google Workspace, can support and enhance student outcomes. In this session, we'll take a look at how a variety of Google Tools, including Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google Arts & Culture can support PBL experiences in the science classroom. These tools can helps students with all types of PBL tasks from research to publishing and sharing.
3D-Design Projects for the Art Classroom
Looking for ways to challenge your students in the art classroom? 3D design and printing has become a leading tool in education, especially when exploring STEAM and project-based learning. Join us as we share ideas for enhancing your pre-existing art lessons with 3D design. Plus, we'll go over activities that can help promote the interdisciplinary benefits of 3D design.
Adobe Express in the Classroom
Reimagine what students can create using Adobe Express, the free content creation platform by Adobe. We'll explore pre-made templates, collaboration tools, general creation features, and activity ideas. Get ready to take your lessons to new heights!
Creating Digital Books for a Multicultural Book Festival
Digital books are the perfect way to reinforce literacy concepts while also tapping into key 21st century skills. In this session, we will discuss strategies for having students create their own digital books that explore their unique cultures and backgrounds. We will explore specific platforms for digital stories such as Book Creator, StoryJumper, and Google Slides. We will then dive into ideas to include in our multicultural books, tools to support English language learners, and how we can share these books to a larger audience during our multicultural book festival. Let’s celebrate reading & writing and learn about other cultures along the way!
Bring STEM into Every Classroom
Preparing students with the essential skills for the future requires all educators to create a culture for learning that sparks curiosity and innovation. Bringing STEM into every classroom is essential. Explore methods and tools that will empower educators to provide students with opportunities in STEM while helping them develop essential SEL skills. This session will share methods and tools with wide applicability to get teachers started with STEM in every classroom and lead students to become creators and innovators.
Rachelle Dene Poth is a Spanish and STEAM teacher and attorney. She is a frequent presenter at conferences on emerging technology and ways to benefit student learning. Rachelle has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Presidential Gold Award for Volunteer Service in Education. As an accomplished author, she has seven titles currently in print, and has contributed to multiple collaborative publications. She enjoys delivering PD, especially on appsmashing, AR/VR, SEL, STEM, project-based learning, and more.
Celebrating Read Across America Month in the Secondary Classroom
Are you looking for ways to connect with the spirit of Read Across America for your secondary students? In this session, we will discuss a variety of ways you can explore the deeper meaning behind some of the texts of Theodor Seuss Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss, whose birthday inspired Read Across America. We will look at pieces of writing from Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein to compare and contrast social issues; use Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels and Dr. Seuss's The Butter Battle Book to discuss satire; discuss political cartoons during World War II; and more! We will also discuss some technology tools to support these activities, including some templates for students to write their own stories and screenplays!
Conversation Building for ELLs Through SEL Activities
How can we teach English language learners to understand and effectively use SEL terms? In this session, we will build background knowledge by examining the importance of providing ELLs with the tools, resources, and language skills that they need in order to successfully tap into their own SEL needs and build meaningful relationships. Whether students are new to the language or new to the school, it is important that we explore tools that will help them build confidence through conversation. Join us as we explore specific resources such as SEL visual aids to support your ELLs. Plus, we'll give you free conversation prompts and activities to get students communicating!
Lights, Camera, Action: Bringing Fairytales to Life Through Storytelling
February 26th is a special day; it's worldwide Tell A Fairy Tale Day! There are so many amazing activities you can do leading up to this day. To celebrate, join us for a session on writing fairy tales and bringing them to life! In this course, we will be using digital tools and various platforms to storyboard and script fairy tales. We will even venture into story extensions, twists, and retelling stories from a villain's point of view!
Raising Heart Health Awareness in Physical Education
February is National Heart Health Month, and it is the perfect time to teach students about the importance of heart-healthy activities and living an overall healthy lifestyle. In this session, we will explore strategies for teaching students about Heart Health Month and showcase specific activities to get them up and moving. From yoga and meditation, to a PSA on fitness and heart health, students will be engaged every step of the way!
Transforming 2D Design Using 3Doodler
3Doodler is a 3D pen that allows students to bring their 2D ideas to life! Join us for this session where we will explore opportunities to engineer their own unique designs using the 3Doodler pen. With 3Doodler, students can take their 2D designs and assemble them together to create 3D creations. We will also explore ready-to-use stencils and lesson plans to help get the creation process started in your classroom.
Michelle Blanchet, author of Preventing Polarization: 50 Strategies to Teach Kids about Empathy, Politics, and Civic Responsibility, will join us to discuss how we might use games to bridge the gap between SEL and civic engagement. We'll discuss gamification in the classroom as well as some activities and games that will take civics lessons to the next level while supporting students' social-emotional needs. Join us to discover how gamification can increase your students' engagement.
Google Drive Hacks You Didn't Know Were Possible
Unlock the full potential of Google Drive with Google Workspace expert Alice Keeler! In this course, you'll discover powerful tips and tricks to help you streamline your workflow, organize your files and folders, and collaborate more effectively. Whether you're a teacher struggling to keep your Google Drive organized or simply looking to take your productivity to the next level, this course is perfect for you. Join us to learn how to make the most of this powerful platform and say goodbye to a messy and cluttered Google Drive.
Creating Cross-Curricular Super Bowl Activities
Are you looking to tackle the topic of Super Bowl across the different content areas? In this session, we will look at how you can create cross-curricular activities to teach students about tradition, competition and other defining characteristics of the Super Bowl celebration. We will also explore how your students can bring the fun home to engage family and friends in some Super Bowl-themed activities!
Using Digital Tools to Write Personal Letters
Did you know that February is known as "Letter and Card Writing Month"? In this course, we will be focusing on digital tools that students can use to support letter writing skills. We will explore a variety of strategies and digital tools you can use with your students to plan, write, and share their letters!
Do you want to learn how to draw in mid-air, or create 3D objects without a 3D printer? Join us as we create 3D doodles and designs instantly with the 3Doodler pen! During this magical course, we'll go through the basics of the 3Doodler pen and come up with activity ideas to help you integrate 3D drawing into your classroom.
Weather Watching Activities for Groundhog Day
Every year, we celebrate Groundhog Day and look forward to finding out if spring is coming or if we’ll have six more weeks of winter. In this session, we will dive into the history of Groundhog Day and then explore some more science-based weather concepts. We'll discuss activities that can provide students with the opportunity to track weather data and make predictions about whether or not the Groundhog will "see its shadow." Join us for a Groundhog Day celebration with a science twist!
Using OneNote for Elementary Math
Class Notebook is an app that helps you set up OneNote in your class. In this session, we will discuss how you can use this Class Notebook to distribute materials to students in groups or individually, provide feedback on their assignments, and differentiate your instruction. This tool that offers multiple ways for students to interact, and it is ian nteractive & engaging way for students to collaborate. It even helps with executive functioning skills like organizaiton! Join us for this session to learn all the ways you can use Class Notebook from OneNote.
Tools to Support ENL Family Involvement
Are you looking for strategies to connect with the families of your ELLs? In this session, we will dive into the importance of bridging the gap between school and home life, and how to work with families to make sure that students are reaching their full potential. We will discuss tools for translating materials, learning about students’ home lives, and recognizing the cultural values of these families. We will also provide examples of activities that can be done by students and families both in school and at home to help us build a deeper connection with our students.
Inspiring Equitable and Empowering Assessment
Leading change in assessment and grading practices is not for the faint of heart. In fact, advocating for change can leave someone feeling isolated and demoralized amidst the status quo. In this session, learn how to become an inspiring mentor that starts a movement towards equitable and empowering assessment practices. We’ll discuss how to co-create a vision, invite others to think differently, leverage portfolios to amplify feedback, and launch an authentic defense of learning.
Using Google Workspace in the Secondary Social Studies Classroom
Students at the secondary level (grades 9-12) are expected to be able to combine and utilize the many skills that they have acquired throughout their schooling years to work independently or collaboratively on projects such as writing research papers, engaging in current events, giving presentations, etc. Join us for this course to learn how using all of the functions available in Google Workspace is a great way to create and present engaging and meaningful projects in the social studies classroom.
Web Resources to Welcome the Lunar New Year
The Lunar New Year is just around the corner! In this session, we will provide you with resources and ideas to bring the culture and history of the holiday to your classroom. We will also explore specific activities to recognize the importance of cultural foods, symbols, stories, and more that are associated with the Lunar New Year. Join us for a Lunar New Year celebration!
PBL for the Elementary ELA Classroom
Project-based learning is the perfect way to engage your K-5 students in 21st century skills. How can we incorporate these skills into our ELA class? In this session, we’ll discuss how to implement PBL activities into your instruction to promote critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. We will also dive into how to use various tools to promote the key elements of PBL, such as research, gathering and analyzing feedback, and presenting knowledge in your classroom. Join us to review some PBL best practices to engage your elementary ELA students!
Enhancing Classroom Management with Classroomscreen
Are you tired of toggling between class management apps, timers, and feedback tabs throughout the day? Classroomscreen has got you covered! In this session, we will discuss Classroomscreen and all the ways it can be useful in your classroom. Classroomscreen is a one-stop shop that eliminates the need to have multiple tabs open for your LMS, class management, visual cues, etc. We will discuss the widgets available on Classroomscreen, how it's beneficial across all grade bands and disciplines, how you can customize your screens, and more!
Building Cultural Responsiveness Using STEM
STEM can be a powerful tool when it comes to engaging your learners with instructional material because it opens the doors for students to incorporate their own experiences and cultures in diverse subject areas. In this course, we will explore ideas for helping your students interact with different STEM activities while maintaining the integrity of their cultural identity, allowing them to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.
Festive STEAM Challenges for Elementary Classrooms
The holiday season is upon us! This time of year is the perfect opportunity to incorporate some festive fun into the classroom. Join us for our session where we will explore winter and holiday themed STEAM projects and challenges that elementary students can collaborate on. We will dive into the benefits of STEAM in the elementary classroom and then explore specific examples and ready-made activities to try with your students. From designing and building an igloo with consumable materials to sending robots on a sleigh ride, your students will be engaged from start to finish!
Using Microsoft PowerPoint for Digital Passport Creation
Are you looking for a unique and engaging activity for your students? In this session, we will explore ideas for using Microsoft PowerPoint to send students on a digital passport trip! We will discuss best practices for teaching about a variety of holidays in a culturally reponsive way. This activity will also provide ELLs with opportunities to teach others about their own holiday customs and traditions, while taking all students on a learning journey.
Creating Holiday Ornaments with 3D Design
It's the most wonderful time of year...for your students to get creative and design holiday ornaments! In this session, we will show you how your students can get creative for the holidays by incorportation 3D design technology as well as 3D printers to create unique and personalized ornaments for the holiday season!
Digital Tools to Reinforce ELA Skills
Are you looking for ideas to engage students in your ELA Class? Join us for a session where we will look at tools to boost your ELA lessons in all grade bands. We'll go over resources that can help you differentiate your lessons with tools like Kami, Padlet, and more! We will also provide resources with created material for you to customize as well as create a new lesson together!
Building Independence with Google Classroom Activities
Any educator would agree that all students learn in their own way, but if there is one similarity amongst all students, it's that practice is key! Students tend to perform better after repeated opportunities for practice coupled with targeted feedback. When you have a large group of students at different skill levels, you can feel overwhelmed with supporting each individual student’s journey. Google Classroom practice sets can be part of the solution. Join us as we walk through how the practice set feature within Google Classroom is just one way you can help your students become a little more independent!
The Relationship Between Innovative Thinking and Educator Mental Health
Two seemingly separate concepts in education, innovation and mental health, are actually more connected than one might think. Join us and Mandy Froehlich in this session to discover how innovative thinking and mental health are related, how educator engagement impacts climate/culture, and strategies that can provide healthy support for a greater chance to support innovation in the school.
Mandy Froehlich is an experienced Director of Innovation and Technology, technology integrator, and teacher, whose interest lies in reinvigorating and re-engaging teachers back into their profession, as well as exploring what’s needed to support teachers in their pursuit of innovative and divergent thinking and teaching. She consults internationally with districts and institutions in the effective use of technology to support great teaching, mental health support for educators, and how to create organizational change.
Using Easel by TPT for Assessment
Just about every educator has visited Teachers Pay Teachers at least once and can share a success story that came from a resource they discovered in the extensive library the site offers. Easel by TPT is one of the newest additions to hit their site and it has been designed to help support educators beyond sharing lesson materials. Join us as we walk through the features of Easel by TPT and explore how you can teach, assign, and assess students while delivering engaging digital content!
Integrating SEL into Physical Education
How can we provide students with social-emotional learning opportunities across subject areas? In this session, we will explore the value of SEL and the importance of confidence boosting, teamwork, and relationship-building in the PE classroom. We will also discuss how you can take lessons that you already have and easily add SEL components. Finally, we will share best practices and detailed activity ideas to strengthen the mind-body connection. Join us to get your mind muscles moving!
PBL in the Secondary ELA Classroom
Learn how to implement PBL activities to promote critical thinking, communication, and collaboration in your secondary ELA classroom. Embracing technology in a traditional ELA classroom will not only help engage your students, but it will also improve their literacy skills and foster a classroom environment in which the traditional elements of ELA become more hands on.
Introduction to CS with Makey Makey and MakeCode Arcade
Video game design is a great platform for learning computer science! Even better, video games are also a great opportunity to integrate Makey Makey by having students build their own controllers and integrate them into their games using Microsoft MakeCode Arcade. Join us to jump into designing a simple first game with MakeCode, and a custom controller using Makey Makey.
Derek has a passion for making, repairing, and improving the things around him! After 5 years of teaching middle school shop class, Derek entered the private sector developing educational kits and running professional development workshops around the country. As the Director of Product and Programs, Derek oversees the Makey Makey product catalog, the development of new products, and collaborates with the team to make sure they reflect the value of invention literacy.
Introduction to CS with Makey Makey and Scratch
Banana pianos are fun, but customized inventions are even better! In this webinar, you will learn how to challenge students to code custom Scratch projects for their Makey Makey invention kits. Use Scratch to create and code sprites, learn coding tools to make custom animations, and use logic to make games smart!
As a creative, Colleen creates teacher-driven content for the Makey Makey team and beyond! With 15 years of experience in education and a lifetime experience as a maker, she still believes the world is her classroom and that maker education is transformative for students and teachers alike! Colleen is currently the Director of Content, Curriculum, and Community at Makey Makey.
10 Strategies to Support Teachers’ Development as Designers of Active Learning
Designing authentic, learner-driven activities is challenging. What strategies and technology tools integrate meaningfully into the array of delivery modes and accommodate learner variability? This session will showcase a list of tested strategies and top tools every emerging and practicing teacher needs to be an accomplished designer of learning.
Rachelle Dene Poth is a Spanish and STEAM teacher and attorney. She is a frequent presenter at conferences on emerging technology and ways to benefit student learning. Rachelle has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Presidential Gold Award for Volunteer Service in Education. As an accomplished author, she has seven titles currently in print, and has contributed to multiple collaborative publications. She enjoys delivering PD, especially on appsmashing, AR/VR, SEL, STEM, project-based learning, and more.
Civics Projects to Empower Older Students
As educators, we are constantly considering our students' interests when lesson planning, but sometimes struggle to show students how the lesson activities can support them in their adult lives post-graduation. A project-based approach to civics may be the answer when working with older students. Join us as we share engaging activities that you can do with your older students to get them excited about democracy, elections, civics and so much more!
Curiosity takes effort. It takes creativity. It takes brainpower. And it leads to passion, purpose, and innovation. When there is so much on the line, how do we dare to be curious? Join us and Mandy Froehlich in learning how to awaken curiosity and why it matters in the our profession.
Mandy Froehlich is an experienced Director of Innovation and Technology, technology integrator, and teacher, whose interest lies in reinvigorating and re-engaging teachers back into their profession, as well as exploring what’s needed to support teachers in their pursuit of innovative and divergent thinking and teaching. She consults internationally with districts and institutions in the effective use of technology to support great teaching, mental health support for educators, and how to create organizational change.
Wakelet is a free digital curation platform that lets anyone organize content, including teachers and students. Join one of our very own Wakelet Ambassadors to learn how to get started using and integrating Wakelet's easy-to-use tools. You'll be saving, sharing, collaborating, and engaging others in no time!
Tools and Resources to Construct Meaningful Report Card Comments
Report card season can bring on stress and anxiety for students, teachers, and even parents. What can we do to ensure that the report card comments that we give are purposeful and provide students with opportunities to grow throughout the year? In this session, we will discuss the importance of meaningful report card comments and how these comments can be used to promote growth for our students' mindsets. We will share specific comments that focus on students’ efforts and strengths as well as strategies for improvement. We will also discuss how these comments can be differentiated based on grade-band, in order to provide students with the most impactful yet understandable tools for success.
Veterans Day Activities for Elementary Students
Veterans Day is a chance for students to learn about and honor individuals who have served or are currently serving in the military. As educators, it is our job to teach students about this important day, while also providing them with opportunities to show appreciation for veterans. Join us for this session, where we will explore age-appropriate strategies for teaching students about Veterans Day as well as ready-to-go printable and digital activities. We will also dive into conversation prompts and applicable literature to get your students engaged and involved on this important day!
Teaching with Science Simulations in Lumio
Lumio has recently gotten an upgrade, with all new features such as widgets, templates, and a re-design of the platform! In this course, we'll be taking a look at the built-in PhET simulations within Lumio, and how you can use them to create engaging science lessons. You'll discover how to add these simulations to new or pre-existing content, as well as some tips for using them asynchronously or synchronously.
Active Floor is an interactive solution designed to bring movement and game-based learning into your classroom. In this course, we will dive into the basics of creating movement-oriented activities that will help students better retain information. We’ll cover topics like licensing, game templates, customization and so much more!
Burnout and Demoralization: What They Are and How to Heal
Most people have heard the term burnout, but not as many are familiar with the concept of demoralization. Learn the difference between the two concepts, why it’s important to name what’s happening, and strategies for healing. Join us and Mandy Froehlich in learning how to heal from burnout and demoralization in teaching workspaces.
Mandy Froehlich is an experienced Director of Innovation and Technology, technology integrator, and teacher, whose interest lies in reinvigorating and re-engaging teachers back into their profession, as well as exploring what’s needed to support teachers in their pursuit of innovative and divergent thinking and teaching. She consults internationally with districts and institutions in the effective use of technology to support great teaching, mental health support for educators, and how to create organizational change.
Improving Elementary Literacy with Technology
Looking for more engaging literacy lessons? Want to try out digital storytelling in your classroom? There are so many educational literacy apps available, it can be hard to choose ones that will work best for your classroom. In this course. we will highlight a few of these tools that you can easily incorporate into your classroom, so that you can keep your students engaged while improving literacy.
Creative Storytelling with Robotics
Get ready for this twist on digital storytelling featuring robotics. In this cross-curricular workshop, we will discuss some best practices and things to consider when starting a storytelling project in your classroom. Then, we'll show you how to plan and code your device(s) to tell a story in a whole new way! We will also share some storytelling examples using one of our favorite robot friends, KIBO! You’ll get to try these skills out for yourself, so you too, can enhance your classroom's creativity!
Seesaw has a specialized system for student portfolios and parent communication that makes it one of the best learning platforms for sharing a student's work! In this session, we will take a deeper dive into the many features that Seesaw has to offer to enhance and elevate your classroom management experience.
Using Interactive Storytelling to Build Academic Vocabulary
Storytelling is a common practice that helps young children to learn important concepts, express creativity, and enhance their academic skills. The interactive component of storytelling is what helps students develop verbal and written expression, which will help improve academic vocabulary. Join us for our session where we will discuss the importance of bringing interactive storytelling into the early-age classroom by using pre-existing stories and strategies, so that your students create and share their own. We will also share some websites and activity ideas to get you on your way with storytelling in the classroom!
Creating Assistive Technology Using 3D Design
Sometimes people with disabilities may not have the means to purchase high-end versions of the equipment that is necessary to assist them in their daily lives. In this course, we will discuss how to get students thinking about assistive devices and how they can be created using 3D design. We'll go over how to guide students in developing solutions and creating cost-effective assistive technology.
Using Makey Makey to Support Exceptional Learners
There are many benefits of integrating STEM into your curriculum as it can give you the opportunity to make learning fun again for your students. But have you ever wondered how a STEM product, like Makey Makey, can positively affect a class full of exceptional learners? Join us as we explore how Makey Makey can be used to help teach academic content to your students in a tangible, interactive, and hands-on way. Learn how you can support your students as they incorporate Makey Makey into their growing passion for innovation.
Healing Through Self-Compassion and Micro-Resilience Strategies
Understanding who we are and how we can best take care of ourselves is one of the best ways to become our best selves and better support those we serve. In this session, we'll explore practical strategies for the four types of self-care, and discuss resilience strategies & activities that contribute to developing a strong foundation for healing. Join us and Mandy Froehlich in learning how to build strength through micro-resilience strategies.
Mandy Froehlich is an experienced Director of Innovation and Technology, technology integrator, and teacher, whose interest lies in reinvigorating and re-engaging teachers back into their profession, as well as exploring what’s needed to support teachers in their pursuit of innovative and divergent thinking and teaching. She consults internationally with districts and institutions in the effective use of technology to support great teaching, mental health support for educators, and how to create organizational change.
Expanding Language Skills for ELLs Using Flip
Are you looking to enhance your ELLs' language skills? In this session, we will discuss the importance of teaching expressive and receptive language skills to students. We will then explore how to use Flip to have students practice speaking and expressing themselves creatively. We will dive into specific topics, activity ideas, and prompts that can be done on Flip, as well as best practices for having your ELLs communicate effectively. Join us to explore this accessible tool for students to work on their language skills in an engaging way!
Addressing SEL Through Bulletin Boards
Bulletin boards can be powerful, eye-catching tools that communicate information and celebrate student learning. Have you ever thought about using them to help support students' social-emotional needs? Join us as we discover unique bulletin board ideas and best practices for creating boards that promote SEL, inclusiveness, and make a positive impact.
Tools to Support Digital Book Cover Creation
Students already know that an impressive cover can make a book stand out on the shelf. In this course, we will go over how you can challenge your students to be illustrators for the day by designing their own digital book covers. Join us as we take a deeper dive into the different programs that you can use, and the handy design tools within these websites!
Supporting Your Flipped Classroom Using IXL
IXL is a digital education platform that personalizes students' learning and helps them practice targeted skills. Teachers can help students reach their learning goals through the use of IXL's comprehensive curriculum, skills practice, and diagnostic tools. In this session, we will discuss the flipped classroom and how IXL can support this instructional model.
Educator Mental Health and Why We Emotionally Disengage
We work in an emotion-filled profession where empathy and passion are our greatest asset. However, what happens when those feelings are challenged or taken away entirely? How does this happen, and what can we do about it? Join us and Mandy Froehlich as we explore the reasons why educators become emotionally disengaged in the teaching profession.
Mandy Froehlich is an experienced Director of Innovation and Technology, technology integrator, and teacher, whose interest lies in reinvigorating and re-engaging teachers back into their profession, as well as exploring what’s needed to support teachers in their pursuit of innovative and divergent thinking and teaching. She consults internationally with districts and institutions in the effective use of technology to support great teaching, mental health support for educators, and how to create organizational change.
Whether you are from the Northeast, the South, Midwest, or the West, there is a general set of standards for computer science (CS) education. We will explore those standards and make them relevant to all classrooms and grade levels. In this session, we will define computer science and explore why it is a necessary subject. We will also explore the impact of computer science in our schools and discuss how to design and implement successful CS education.
Apps to Support the Exceptional Education Setting
This app-centric course will cover a variety of skills and creation-based apps that are useful in any Exceptional Education classroom. In this session, we will not only cover the functionality of the apps, but also best practices to incorporate them effectively with students, like using iPads as a center for assessment or behavior management tool. This session will also reveal some of the best-kept accessibility secrets to help you reach all types of learners.
Supporting Mentor/Mentee Teacher Partnerships
Creating guidelines and having an open dialogue are two important factors to building a professional foundation between a mentor and mentee, strengthening the relationship. In this course, we will look at how you can build a partnership foundation and utilize technology to collaborate, schedule, and set goals for students.
Differentiating Instruction for ELLs Using Microsoft Visio
We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words. When teaching ELLs, providing visual aids is essential for their comprehension. Microsoft Visio, a diagramming program, can support this effort with its pre-made content such as templates, flowcharts, built-in shapes, and more. Join us as we explore how Microsoft Visio can be used to provide differentiated instruction for ELLs.
Blended Learning with Station Rotations
Station rotations can have many benefits, including differentiated instruction and the ability to teach small groups while other students are working independently. However, classroom management is key in order to keep all students engaged while you are working with a small group. Join us for this session where we will cover different digital tools and management tips for making the most out of station rotations.
Resources for Virtual Field Trips
Field trips can be incredibly enriching for students, but they are not always an option for teachers. In this course, we will explore how teachers can create interactive virtual field trips for students as well as how to use these trips to maximize student learning and engagement.
Modifying a Pre-Made Minecraft Education Edition Lesson
Minecraft Education Edition has many pre-made lessons for almost any subject. These lessons are great places to start. However, you may want to personalize the lessons to add quizzes and instructions that fit with your lesson and teaching style. Alice Keeler is going to guide you through essential tips for customizing a Minecraft lesson and distributing it to your students.
Understanding the NYS Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards
Computer science concepts are finding their way into every classroom at each grade level. That's where the new Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards come into play! If you haven’t had a chance to dive into the new NYS K-12 Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards, join us for this session as we unpack these standards and explore ideas and activities to integrate them into the classroom.
Using Microsoft Planner for Project-Based Learning
Keeping students organized during project-based learning activities can be a challenge, especially if students are given more flexibility in terms of their goals. Join us to learn about one of Microsoft's newer applications, Microsoft Planner. We'll show you all the ins and outs of using Microsoft Planner and how your students can utilize it for their next project-based learning experience.
Tools to Alleviate Back to School Anxiety
Educators are key players when it comes to helping students cope with back-to-school anxiety. Join us for this course as we explore techniques for educators to recognize the signs of student distress and how to guide them through anxiety. We'll show you ways to ensure your students thrive over the course of the academic school year. You may even find that some of these strategies can help you to address some of your own start-of-the-year anxieties too!
Making Accessible Print Documents
Even when we are creating documents that will be printed and handed out, there still needs to be a digitally accessible equivalent to ensure accessibility for all. In the course, you will learn why this is so important, and how to create accessible print documents.
Unpacking Technology Safely at the Beginning of the Year
Even if you tuned into our spring course on safely packing your technology at the end of the year, you may still be feeling overwhelmed now that it is time to unpack for the new school year. Don't fret! Join us for this session as we share recommended steps to unload your technology safely after a summer of storage.
Giving Valuable Feedback in the Math Classroom
Feedback is the key to helping your students feel more confident in their abilities! There is a lot of professional development out there about the “right way” to change these negative feelings in the classroom, but does this look different depending on the subject you teach? Join us for this course, where we will explore different ways to help students shift their mindsets to be able to grow and learn in your math classroom.
Level Up Google Classroom with Schoolytics
Google Classroom is great, but you’re ready to get more out of it! Join Google Classroom expert and author of “Stepping Up to Google Classroom,” Alice Keeler to explore ways to level up your Google Classroom experience. Teachers around the world use Schoolytics to better understand how their students are really performing on skills and standards, easily create progress reports, and share assignments with other teachers. Learn why Schoolytics is the tool that Google Classroom teachers have been wishing for!
Engaging Students in the Engineering Design Process
The engineering design process is used throughout STEM classes, as students can develop solutions to many types of problems. Join us to learn some quick and simple activities you can do with your class to engage them in the engineering design process! Whether students are already familiar with the EDP, or have no idea what it is, they can benefit from these quick challenges!
Canva is a free online graphic design tool. Together, we will walk through how to access templates on Canva and start creating without having extensive photo editing knowledge or graphic design experience. Join us to explore how educators can use Canva to create newsletters, announcements, posters, social media posts, and so much more!
Students can be introduced to coding concepts way before they ever maneuver their first block of code. In the session, we are going to show you how to teach coding concepts without the actual code! We will be demonstrating different techniques to get students to think like programmers so they can understand the functions behind writing code.
Kami is a digital tool available for download that allows students to engage with typically static instructional materials through annotation and markup tools. In this course, we'll show you how to access Kami and explore available features, ideas for the classroom, and tips and tricks for getting started. Join us to learn about this powerful tool and increase your student engagement.
Using Google Drawings to Teach Elementary Science Concepts
Google Drawings is not just a tool for teachers, it can also be used for student learning. In this session, we will look at how to utilize Drawings to teach science concepts by using visuals. Students will be able to synthesize information and develop their own understandings rather than just memorizing facts.
Designing School Notices with Canva
Classroom or school-wide newsletters shouldn't be boring. Join us for this course to explore how you can keep parents, students, and staff up to date by using creative school newsletter templates available in Canva. With just a few clicks, we will dive into the steps for personalizing and publishing!
Building Cultural Awareness Through Oral History Projects
Understanding and recognizing that our classmates have different values shaped by diverse backgrounds can be learned through the use of oral history projects. In this session, we will discuss building cultural awareness in the classroom by utilizing Audacity to create meaningful oral history projects.
MC: Edpuzzle - Session 6 - Supporting Varied Learning Needs Using Edpuzzle
Do you have a class full of learners with unique needs? In the sixth session of our Edpuzzle Micro-credential, we will explore how Edpuzzle can support you as you differentiate instruction. We will dive into features such as 'live mode' and how Edpuzzle can provide you with "stoplight data" to support your small group instruction.
MC: Edpuzzle - Session 8 - Final Assignment
Congratulations! You have made it to the last session in our Edpuzzle Micro-credential series. You are one assignment away from earning your certificate! In this session, we'll provide you with an example final assignment and a detailed look at the rubric that will be used to grade your submission.
MC: Edpuzzle - Session 5 - Enhancing Math & Science Instruction Using Edpuzzle
Join us for our fifth session which is aimed towards math and science teachers. We will explore some of the features within Edpuzzle that can transform your math and science lessons and make a more engaging learning experience for your students.
MC: Edpuzzle - Session 4 - Enhancing ELA & Social Studies Instruction Using Edpuzzle
Looking for ways to enhance some of your preexisting ELA and social studies lessons using Edpuzzle? We've already explored how you can use YouTube to improve your instructional videos in these content areas. During this fourth session of our Edpuzzle Micro-credential, we will take a look at other features that will help you boost these lessons in your ELA or social studies classroom!
MC: Edpuzzle - Session 3 - Creating & Sharing Content on Edpuzzle
In our third session of our Edpuzzle Micro-credential, we will dive into the basics of creating activities for your students on Edpuzzle. We will explore some of Edpuzzle's integrations and how you can level up your video creation using some of its advanced features.
MC: Edpuzzle - Session 7 - Using Edpuzzle for PBL
Let's take project-based learning to the next level! In the seventh session of our Edpuzzle Microcredential, we will set you and your students up for success as you turn the Edpuzzle video creation over into their hands. We will go over tips for making student-led content creation run smoothly and share suggested starting points.
MC: Edpuzzle - Session 2 - Getting Started with Edpuzzle
In the second session of our Edpuzzle Micro-credential, we will focus on the essentials to help you get started with Edpuzzle. Join us as we explore the account creation process, teacher and student views of Edpuzzle, and so much more!
MC: Edpuzzle - Session 1 - Introduction
Welcome to the first session of our Edpuzzle Micro-credential! In this session, we will introduce you to the individual sessions that make up this course series, independent practice opportunities, and requirements such as the checkpoint assignments. We’ll also discuss where you can access support during the course series and introduce you to the topics we’ll cover throughout the sessions! Join us to learn all the information you’ll need to be successful in our Edpuzzle Micro-credential.
Storing Technology Safely Over the Summer
Ever encounter battery-related issues with your devices at the start of the school year? We know how frustrating it can feel when your technology won’t hold a charge or function the way it used to when you return back to school in the fall. Join us for this end of year session as we share recommended steps to prepare your technology for storage over the summer.
In this session, we will move further with UBTech by taking a look at the UKIT Advanced, where students will have the opportunity to dive deeper into the mechanics, electronics, and programming behind high-tech robotics. The Advanced kit includes an introduction to circuitry and electrical engineering, as well as text-based coding.
Designing Teacher Workshops to Support Teacher Growth
Professional learning should reflect the kind of learning we want to see for our students. Join us for this course as we share best practices for administrators to support teachers’ growth. We’ll explore strategies for engaging adult learners in training workshops and the impacts of different workshop approaches.
In today's session, we'll be learning all about digital journals. From benefits to important considerations, and even recommended tools, we'll give you all the information you need to get started with your students. Whether you're looking to switch over journal activities from pen and paper or want a unique activity to do with students, you've come to the right place!
Sharing Lessons in Minecraft Education Edition
Minecraft Education Edition is an excellent resource for engaging students in deeper learning opportunities. Education Edition allows you to download pre-created lessons as well as design your own immersive learning experience. In this session, Alice will walk through how to find ready-made lessons for Minecraft Education Edition and how to distribute them to students using iPads, laptops, or Chromebooks.
Teaching with Minecraft: Basics for Creating a World
Using Minecraft Education Edition starts with understanding some of the basics, like maneuvering in the environment, game modes, and more. In this session, Alice will help you to get started with creating a world. She'll dive into the differences between creative mode and survival mode with some discussion on when to choose which mode when using Minecraft Education Edition with students.
Taking Learning Outside the Math Classroom
Are you looking for ways to increase student engagement in your math lessons? Teaching math outdoors offers endless possibilities to teach math from a real-world, creative, and hands-on learning perspective. In this course, we will transform traditional classroom math lessons that focus on topics such as symmetry, geometry, data collection, and measurement to outdoor learning opportunities that are sure to make math more meaningful and interesting to your students.
Using Boom Cards to Provide Summer Challenges for ELLs
Many of us send home the traditional summer work like reading lists, math packets, and other review materials to help continue the learning for our ELL students. Why not make summer learning more fun and engaging with quick challenge cards? In this session, we’ll learn how to create and use Boom Cards to push out challenge cards for your ELLs to access anytime and anywhere during the summer.
Introduction to Minecraft Education Edition
Game-based learning, like Minecraft, can increase engagement and understanding for students of all ages. But what is Minecraft and how is it educational? In this session, Alice will introduce us to Minecraft Education Edition, the differences between Minecraft and Minecraft Education Edition, and how it can be used with your elementary to high school students.
Celebrate Student Success Using 3D Design & Printing
As educators, we wear many hats. We are listeners, planners, data collectors, and above all: motivators. In order to motivate our students, we are constantly looking for ways to celebrate their achievements. In this session, we will share ideas for designing prizes and other celebratory items to commemorate your students’ accomplishments for homework completion, attendance, and so much more!
Structuring Independent Study in the Secondary Classroom
In this session, we will learn about allowing your students time to choose a side project to work on in the classroom, giving them autonomy over their learning and purpose to their education. This is a great option that can be implemented at any time of year, especially as the year is winding down. It's also a great way to continue building skill sets as well as letting the students explore what interests them.
Teaching Self-Regulation During Choice Time in Early Ed
As early as Kindergarten teachers can help students build independence, monitor their own behaviors and become self-directed learners. Self-regulation is a skill that begins in the early education classroom and can be acquired with proper support and guidance. In this course, we will explore strategies educators can use to help foster the development of self-regulation during "choice time" activities in the early ed classroom.
Using Google Forms to Drive Instructional Decision Making
Join us for this course to explore how Google Workspace can promote learning and support data-driven instruction (DDI). Google Forms is one of the many tools out there that can help you gauge students’ pre-existing knowledge, identify misconceptions, and so much more. In this course, we will explore how you can use the features within Forms to create engaging lesson activities for your students and promote student growth.
A classroom is not bound by four walls but instead is a place where learning is cultivated, led, inspired, motivated, built, and empowered (CLIMBE). Join educator and author, Dene Gainey as he demonstrates how learning can happen anywhere, whether individually, in groups, or as a whole-class discussion using Spaces, an innovative assessment and lesson delivery system. Part two in our series on Spaces, this webinar will dig deeper into the features, usability, and examples of how Spaces can be integrated into your classroom.
Learning happens in so many ways that are not always effectively demonstrated by a test. Learning is multi-modal! This webinar introduces you to Spaces, an innovative assessment and lesson delivery system that promotes, encourages, and inspires student learning in more ways than one. Join educator and author, Dene Gainey to learn about Spaces from set up to first use. As an educator, Dene makes it his mission to build bridges and fill gaps, not to mention motivate students to be “more.” In this session, we will discuss how to use Spaces to help students effectively learn and assess that learning - from project and problem-based learning to social-emotional benefits and portfolio building.
Using Google to Explore the Earth's Oceans
The ocean covers nearly 71% of Earth's total surface and comprises 96.5% of all of Earth's water supply. Maintaining a healthy ocean is critical to all living things and the wellbeing of the entire planet. Join us as we celebrate World Oceans Day and use Google Tools like Google Maps and Google Earth to explore Earth's oceans and learn more about this critical resource.
Best Practices for Digital Assessments
Are you looking to bring your assessments into the digital era? Join us in this session as we take a look at different digital platforms, best practices, and other tips to help you assess your students successfully using web based tools.
A Rube Goldberg Summer of Outdoor Fun
We’re heading into summer and there is no better place to take your Rube Goldberg Machine building than outdoors! Sandbox, water-play, planting, digging, and even playgrounds can be part of the kinetic fun! Join Jennifer George and friends as they discuss the joy Rube Goldberg and machine-building can bring to your summer programming.
Helping ELLs Make Connections to Literature Using Google Drawings
Working with English language learners and helping them to see text-to-self connections can be difficult. Join us to explore how you can use independent reading opportunites and Google Workspace's Drawings to help your ELL students identify with their own personality.
Ozobot in the Elementary Math Classroom
Building concrete foundational math skills is essential to developing abstract mathematical reasoning. What better way to support that transition than with Ozobot in your Elementary Math Classroom. Join us as we explore the many ways that Ozobot can build both concrete and abstract mathematical thinking while learning to code as well.
Quick Collaborative Activities You Can Create in 15 Minutes
Looking to bring more collaborative learning opportunities to your classroom but not sure where to start? Join Monica Burns for a brand new webinar featuring quick collaborative activities you can create in just 15 minutes. During this session, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at the free, interactive presentation tool Lumio. You'll hear how Lumio is different from SMART Notebook and how you can use this dynamic tool with or without a SMART Board. Attendees will get a chance to participate in interactive activities and create their own collaborative task during the webinar.
Tools to Encourage Dramatic Play in Early Ed
Dramatic play enables students to enhance communication skills, learn key concepts, and develop problem-solving strategies by taking on new roles, acting out real-life experiences, and even dressing up and using imaginative props. In this session, we will discuss the importance of dramatic play for students in the early education classroom. We will also discuss specific, cross-curricular dramatic play activities and suggested literature that you can explore with your students. Join us to learn strategies for setting up your classroom environment to create a space where dramatic play and creativity can soar!
Matt's Maker Space: Legacy Inspires STEAM Opportunities
Makerspaces foster student independence, exploration, and love of creation. Join Jennifer, Noelle, and Anne as they discuss the impact and legacy of Matt Conover, Noelle's son, who died in 2002 from non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, just before his 13th birthday. Matt's Maker Space, founded by Noelle, honors her son's love of engineering and fosters STEM creativity and arts education throughout Pennsylvania.
Developing Check-In Systems for Older Students
Developing age appropriate check-ins can be a challenge for educators working with older students. However, carefully crafted check-ins can bring middle and high school classes closer together. You may even find that they can help to improve students' well-being! Join us as we explore resources for designing morning, mid-day or afternoon check-in systems to monitor student behavior and assist you with planning the next steps for success with these students.
Tools to Support Center Rotations in the Special Ed Classroom
Are you looking to incorporate center rotations into your classroom? In this session, we will explore the benefits of using centers in your special education class, as well as strategies for getting organized, setting up your centers, and supporting students along the way as they dive into their center activities. We will discuss the importance of creating a schedule for center rotations as well as making sure that your centers are created to set your students up for success in order to meet their learning goals. We will also explore specific center activity ideas for you to try out with your students!
Whether you are looking for a fun St. Patrick's Day activity, celebrating National Limerick Day, or simply exploring poetry in your classroom, this session is for you! Join us as we share interactive ways to incorporate technology into your elementary and middle school lessons using Lumio. We'll even help you prepare by sharing the history and patterns behind these much loved poems.
Using Jamboard to Support Writing Stations
Looking for ideas and graphic organizers to support your students thoughts during the writing process? Jamboard can be a great location for research, brainstorming, prewriting, and more. Join us to learn how your students can use Jamboard to organize their thoughts before writing an informative, argumentative, or narrative piece.
Many students have become interested in researching their family history or genealogy over the last few years as advances in information technology have brought our family trees to our fingertips. In this session, we will discuss how to incorporate 3D design and printing into your science or social studies lessons on DNA, genealogy, family history, and our forefathers as we research and create family crests that can tell a story about our students' families.
Turn Your Students' Love of RGM into a Career
Join Jennifer George and Brent Bushnell to discuss how to cultivate the next generation of inventors through joy and creativity. Brent is the Chairman and CoFounder of Two Bit Circus, which deploys STEAM-based programs focused on creativity and invention to inspire students around the world. Brent’s a Sir Edmund Hillary Fellow, a supporter of Clowns Without Borders and publishes on Twitter @brentbushnell; he and members of his team were part of the extraordinary build for OK-Go's viral Rube Goldberg music video for "This Too Shall Pass." Jennifer and Brent will lead an insightful talk about how kids who love building, tinkering, and problem solving can turn those interests into a career.
Digital Citizenship for 21st Century Learners
In the blink of an eye, the need for access to online learning tools was pushed to the forefront of education. Students, teachers, and parents alike had to reimagine the process of learning. 21st century learners have grown up in the digital age, where they have been exposed to all different kinds of technology. Utilizing this technology in a safe, respectful and educational manner is many times overlooked. In this session, we will take a look at the quickly changing digital landscape and how we can educate students of all ages on the importance of positive digital citizenship.
Special education can be an extremely fast-paced and rewarding job. Special educators are challenged to think and act quickly as well as be flexible enough to adapt to any situation. Having a set of tools ready to go at any time can be the difference between successful lessons and negative experiences. Join us for this course as we explore some great educator resources for autism spectrum disorder.
Interactive Storytelling with Jamboard
Jamboard is an interactive whiteboard that can be used for brainstorming, creating, and sharing information. In this session, we will discuss how to create storyboards and how to use the drawing and text features within Jamboard. Join us to discuss the importance of introducing storytelling skills at an early age. We will also explore specific examples and Jamboard templates that can be used for the story creation process.
Are you looking for a unique way to engage your students with social-emotional learning activities? Jamboard is the perfect tool for creating unique learning and self-reflection opportunities. In this session, we will explore the importance of integrating SEL into daily lessons for your early elementary students. We will also dive into specific activities and templates that can be created with Jamboard. Join us for some great ideas to help your students gain self-esteem and build confidence!
Using Desmos for Financial Math
Financial literacy is a critical skill for making important financial decisions. Often, students have gaps in their knoweledge, as skills like budgeting, personal financial managent, and investing are not always taught in the K-12 setting. Join us as we dive into Desmos, the advanced online graphing calculator, and how you can use this powerful tool to help you teach students to tackle both personal and professional financial situations. Easily integrate finaincial literacy into your math classroom with Desmos!
Using Book Creator to Create Digital Stories for ELLs
Digital storytelling is the perfect way to engage your English Language Learners. Join us for this session where we will review the power of digital storytelling and discuss the benefits of storytelling for your students. We will then dive into Book Creator, a website for creating digital books that incorporate drawings, narration, video, and so much more. We will explore how to get started with this digital tool and brainstorm ideas for your students to bring their stories to life. We will also explore digital story topics and examples that are sure to engage your English Language learners. Let’s get creative with this literacy tool to support our students with their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills!
In this session, participants will learn how to create Rube Goldberg machines at home – or with items commonly found around the house. Joined by Jennifer George, we will preview the upcoming book: “25 Rube Goldberg Machines You Can Build at Home.” Guest speakers include Zach Umperovitch (builder), Tori Cameron (author).
Creating a Culture of Kindness in the Early Childhood Classroom
As educators, we know the importance of building a positive classroom community. A major part of bringing this practice to life is teaching our students the importance of kindness and treating one another with respect. In this session, we will review the value of creating a culture of kindness at an early age. We will dive into strategies, best practices, and activity ideas to get your students motivated to connect with one another in meaningful ways. We will also explore relevant children’s literature to spark powerful conversations about kindness both in and out of the classroom. Join us for some tips and tricks for fostering a culture of kindness!
Fight Photomath with Graspable Math
Are your students cheating on math problems by using apps like PhotoMath, Mathway, or other websites on their phones? This can be frustrating since it may be hard to determine what students actually know versus what they were able to solve with the assistance of their phones. Alice Keeler, math teacher and EdTech expert, will share with you the unique ways to use the tool, Graspable Math, to help students to develop procedural fluency. Make Graspable Math a part of your math classroom!
Project based learning activities involving robotics are fun and engaging for students and teachers alike. They can also involve a lot of consumable resources to put together. Why not be kind to our Earth and transform trash into an exciting robotic creation? In this course, we'll highlight recycled materials students can use as they plan and build their robots, as well as how to responsibly clean up after the project is complete. Whether you're looking for a project to do for Earth Day or are just trying to make your classroom more environmentally friendly, you'll find exciting tips and tricks to make our Earth a better place.
Project-Based Learning: Space Exploration with Google
Project-based learning, in conjuction with the productivity and collaboration tools available in Google Workspace, can support and enhance student outcomes. Learn how students can explore the world of space exploration within this structured, creative, and digital workspace. The key elements of project-based learning, such as sustained inquiry, critical thinking, authenticity, student voice and choice, collaboration, reflection, and revision are enhanced through the use of Google Workspace. Join us on a space quest using Google Workspace.
Creating an Add-on with Google Apps Script
Have you ever wanted a Google app to do something but found out that capability didn't yet exist? Chances are, you've run into things you would change if you could. Good news! Oftentimes, you can do just that with the Google Apps Script. In this webinar, Google Workspace Innovator, Alice Keeler will show you how to customize Google apps like Docs, Slides, and Forms through code. She'll also provide some examples of useful ways to customize and get you started with building an add-on to auto send customized feedback to students.
Classroom Management Ideas: Apps for Positive Reinforcement
Are you looking for unique ways to help reinforce positive behaviors in your students? In this course, we’ll take a look at a variety of different interactive apps that can help with classroom management. From token economies to badges and messages, you’ll learn a lot of great tools to put in your classroom toolkit.
Measuring the pH of Beverages Using Labdisc
In this course we'll look at another classroom use of Labdiscs. You will need either an enviro, general science, or biochem Labdisc to perform this activity. We will be predicting the pH of various household beverages and then measure the pH with more accuracy using the Labdisc. We will then analyze and manipulate the data of the acidity of different beverages within the Labdisc software.
Using 3D Design to Support Fraction Instruction
Are your students struggling to understand fractions? What if we told you that you could use 3D design and printing to help your students learn and love fractions? In this course, we will explore lesson ideas and resources that will help you and your students to create 3-dimensional fraction manipulatives to nail down fraction basics.
Culturally Responsive Teaching: Promoting Student Reflection
Culturally responsive teaching enables us as educators to build the connection between academics and students' cultural backgrounds. The key is to provide our students with daily opportunities to reflect and share their voices. Join us in this session as we dive into activities and reflection opportunities that we can bring into our classroom to get our students thinking about and sharing history, traditions, and experiences of other cultures and groups. We will discuss guiding questions for reflection and conversation starters to promote a positive learning environment.
Get your students on the path to developing real-world skills that can solve real-world problems by getting comfortable with incorporating robotics and coding into any classroom! Exposing your students to coding as well as teamwork experiences that will boost their engagement in group engineering and problem solving activities. Join us in exploring the possibilities of incorporating UBTech into your curriculum.
Using Emojis to Manage Classroom Routines and Activities
Who doesn’t love a good emoji? You may already be using emojis in some way in your classroom, but did you know that these little characters can be a great visual cue for students as they work through assignments? Join us as we share suggestions for incorporating emojis into your pre-existing assignments and explore how these fun characters can even help you to manage classroom routines!
Culturally Responsive Teaching: Gamification
Through culturally responsive teaching, we can provide opportunities for our students to be engaged in learning and to process content in a way that best suits their individual needs. In this session, we will explore how to use gamification to get our student's attention and to enrich their learning experiences. We will provide examples of games that will keep students engaged in learning and that promote conversation and friendly competition. Let's discuss the power of games and incorporation repetition, problem solving, and making connections.
Certify Students with Certify'em for Google Forms
Go beyond a score and provide students with their own certificate of completionfor quizzes and assignments. You can use a Google Forms quiz and provide them with a custom certificate with a simple add-on. In this webinar, Google Certified Innovator Alice Keeler will show you how to install the Certify'em add-on. She will also provide examples and ideas for when an automatically generated certificate can be used with students and demonstrate how to set up and use Certify'em in Google Forms.
Tools for Creating an Accessible Google Form
Google Forms is a great tool for teachers. You can use it to collect and grade quizzes, gather feedback from students, and more. But what do you do if you have students who struggle with web accessibility? Join us to discover how you can create accessible forms that can help students with disabilities remain engaged in classroom activities.
Rube Goldberg Cartoon Contest: Putting the 'A' in STEAM!
Join Jennifer George as she leads a lively conversation with illustrators Abby Merrill and Ed Steckley as they describe and quite literally illustrate how to draw Rube Goldberg Machines. Once your students have mastered invention drawing, take learning to the next level with the Rube Goldberg Crazy Contraption Cartoon Contest. We will discuss how the contest can add the Art into STEAM learning and how your students can enter.
Project Based Learning for ELLs
Are you looking for engaging projects to do with your ELL students? In this course, we’ll show you how to implement PBL activities to promote critical thinking, communication, and collaboration with your ELL students. You will learn how to use various tools to promote the key elements of PBL such as research, collaboration, gathering and analyzing feedback, and presenting knowledge in the classroom.
Culturally Responsive Teaching: Google Tools
Culturally responsive teaching is at the forefront of education today. Come check out how you can use common Google tools that you are probably already using, (don't worry if you're not, it's ok, come anyway) to promote culturally responsive teaching and practices. Can't wait to see you there!
Wonder Workshop’s Virtual Robot and Class Connect Webinar
Bring coding to life with Wonder Workshop’s Virtual Robot & Class Connect software, no robot necessary! In this webinar, we will review Class Connect, software that unlocks Dash’s Neighborhood, a Virtual Robot inside of
Blockly for Web and iOS. Kids can solve robot coding challenges by moving Dash around right on the screen in a rich, 3D environment.
Technology to Support Your Calming Space
Creating a space for students to feel safe when they are feeling dysregulated can be essential in any educational setting. Come join us as we discuss different ideas for the use of technology in these types of environments. Together, we will explore different ideas to help students regulate, feel safe, and refocus their attention.
Creating Digital Scrapbooks to Honor Women's History
Are you looking for a unique lesson activity to teach your students about important women in history? Join us as we discuss the value of teaching your students about women’s history and how to integrate this topic into classroom discussions and projects. We will dive into how to create a digital scrapbook that highlights the accomplishments of famous women. We'll also review specific ideas to include in the scrapbook such as biographical data, photographs and images, a summary of the woman’s contributions, and more! Let’s create shareable and unique scrapbooks to learn about and honor women’s history!
MC: 3D Printing & Design: Session 4 - Going Further with TinkerCAD
Designing 3D models is made possible through computer-aided design (CAD) softwares. In session 4, we will continue to learn about the various tools in TinkerCAD to help you with your designs. We will explore how you can create patterns with the duplication tool, how you can place objects with precision using the workplace tool, and how you can engrave a text on your design.
5 Creative Ways to Use Google Slides
Sure, you can use Google Slides to present information, but you can do so much more with Google Slides! Aim to include at least one of the 4 Cs in your activities: creative thinking, collaboration, critical thinking, and communicating ideas. In this webinar, Google Certified Innovator Alice Keeler will show you five creative ways to use Google Slides with your students and how they can be used to include at least one of the 4 Cs in a lesson.
Using a Pre-Existing Science Lesson to Go Further with Scratch
Are you already using Scratch in your classroom to explore coding with your students? You can continue to promote computational thinking, problem solving skills, and creative teaching by kicking it up a notch with Scratch. Join us as we explore how to create sprites and backdrops from "scratch" to take a pre-existing science lesson even further.
Introduction to Digital Storytelling
Are you interested in learning more about how to incorporate digital storytelling into your classroom? In this session, we will dive into an overview of digital storytelling as well as the benefits of using this activity in your classroom to encourage student creativity. We will discuss some ideas to get you started with digital storytelling and explore various platforms that students can use to plan and create. We will also share some best practices and things to consider when starting a digital storytelling project. Join us for some storytelling fun!
MC: 3D Printing & Design: Session 3 - 3D Design Intro with TinkerCAD
Designing 3D models is made possible through computer-aided design (CAD) softwares. In session 3, we will explore TinkerCAD, a free online collection of software tools that will help you design and create 3D models.
MC: 3D Printing & Design: Session 1 - Introduction
Join us for the first session in our 3D Printing and Design certification! We will start off the certification with an introduction to the series and then discuss the breakdown of courses, assignment requirements, and support resources. Then, we'll explore the basics of 3D design and printing.
MC: 3D Printing & Design: Session 7 - Slicing for 3D Printing
In this course, we will develop our 3D terminology by understanding the print settings of your slicing software. We will use the MakerBot Print and Cura to learn how support, speed, infill, among other things, can contribute to the quality of your printed design.
Using Google Workspace to Support Emerging Writers
Writing is an essential skill for every student, but it doesn't have to be frustrating. Join us as we explore how Google Workspace for Education can inspire your students to become independent writers. We will take a look at some ways you can use the Google applications to build great writing habits in your students.
MC: 3D Printing & Design: Session 8 - Curriculum Integration
This is the last session of our micro-credential course and will include information about the final assignment. We will explore a few website resources to look at how teachers have connected the subjects of math, science, social studies, and English (along with others) to 3D printing projects. At the end, you’ll find out how to submit your final assignment to finish this course and earn your certificate.
Understanding the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Innovations in science are happening at a rapid rate. Often driven by technology and human ingenuity, these advancements must be supported from the ground up in future working populations to sustain this growth. That's where the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) come in, as strong K-12 science standards can help to prepare students to be college and career ready in the 21st century. Join us to learn about the inner workings of the NGSS and how to read them in a way that can help you to frame engaging science activities.
Differentiation Tips for ELLs Using Lumio
Lumio is a digital tool for creating and editing lessons, activities, and assessments. But how can this tool be used to differentiate instruction? In this session, we will explore how Lumio can help you to address the diverse strengths and weaknesses of your students. We'll provide background information on differentiating instruction for your ELLs, along with resources to help you differentiate planning, instruction, management, and student assessment. Join us as we explore how to create additional supports for students to complete Lumio lessons and reach language objectives.
MC: Google Advanced - Session 10 - Final Assignment
Congratulations! You have made it to the final session in our Google Educator Advanced Micro-credential. You are one assignment away from earning your certificate and this session is going to give you all the tips, tricks, and details you need to make that happen. We'll walk through an example final assignment, take a detailed look at the rubric, and review the Google Educator Level 2 Certification process, should you decide to move forward with Google's own certification.
Administrator Track: Assessment & Student Data
Join us as we explore assessment tools and share best practices for assessments in the first course of our administrator track. Whether you are looking to enhance the formative or summative assessment taking place in your school, we are here to assist as you support your teachers in creating high validity data collection that will guide future instruction and promote student growth.
Increasing Critical Thinking Using Google Workspace Apps
Critical thinking can be measured using the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) scale, which ranges from 1 to 4. We often rely on lower level tasks; even science and math classes can lean heavily on DOK 1 tasks. For any subject or grade level, we all benefit from considering the DOK levels of our lessons and assignments. Learning improves when we provide students more opportunities to perform at a DOK 2 or DOK 3 level. In this webinar, Google Certified Innovator Alice Keeler will share activities using Google tools that can support increased critical thinking in your classroom.
MC: Google Advanced - Session 9 - Using Jamboard and Google Groups to Foster Student Discussion
Session 9 in our Google Educator Advanced Micro-credential will focus on providing students with new experiences to enhance discussion and gather ideas with peers. While focusing on Google tools such as Jamboard and Google Groups, we will look at various ways that students can collaborate and share their voices on group projects, book clubs, and even class debates. Join us to look at some new ways that students can enhance their discussion skills inside and out of the classroom.
Using Seesaw to Support Your Project-Based Learning
Project-based learning (PBL) provides opportunities for students to gain knowledge and skills by exploring authentic, complex questions, problems, or challenges. There are many moving parts inherent to PBL that can become quite overwhelming for teachers and students. In this course, you will learn how Seesaw can support PBL in a variety of ways. Seesaw is a versatile digital portfolio, multimedia learning, and communication tool. Some options we will explore are how students and teachers can organize their work with folders, provide effective feedback to one another, monitor workflow, and use many multimodal tools to demonstrate their progress over time. Join us to learn how Seesaw can make your PBL manageable and successful.
MC: 3D Printing & Design: Session 5 - Teaching with TinkerCAD
In this course, we will do a deep dive into the TinkerCAD Classroom. Learn how to create a class, add students, create and assign your own activities, and experince the student/user interface.
MC: Google Advanced - Session 8 - Using Google Scholar and Chrome to Take Research to a New Level
Let's take research to the next level with Google Workspace. In Session 8 of our Google Educator Advanced Micro-credential we will dive into using different search tools within Google Workspace, such as Google Scholar and Chrome, to help students improve search results, cite resources, and even locate academic resources.
Celebrate Black History with Game-Based Learning
Let’s celebrate Black History Month through game-based learning activities. In this course, we’ll cover fun and engaging activities using Blooket, Lumio, Quizlet, Nearpod, and Quizizz to help students learn about the important people, accomplishments, and events throughout black history.
MC: 3D Printing & Design: Session 6 - 3D Slash
In the session 6 of this series, we will take a look at other ways students can design 3D objects to be printed. The website, 3D Slash, encourages designers to start with a block or sphere and “design by subtraction” using hammers, chisels, and digital spray paint. This is a great alternative for creating .stl files and is lots of fun!
MC: Google Advanced - Session 7 - Using Google Sites and Gmail to Connect with Guardians
In our last session, we dove into keeping guardians up to date. In Session 7 of our Google Educator Advanced Micro-credential, we will continue to explore how you can use Google Sites and Gmail to connect with guardians. We'll explore all the options for embedding other valuable Google Workspace resources into your Google Site, including forms for all of your classroom needs!
MC: 3D Printing & Design: Session 2 - Hardware & Materials
Let's explore the hardware and materials that bring your 3D designs to life! In session 2, we will showcase the Ultimaker and Makerbot 3D printers. We will cover the basics of each printer so that you feel confident setting them up in your makerspace.
St. Patrick's Day STEM Activities
Join us to find the gold at the end of the rainbow as we explore St. Patrick's Day themed STEM activities geared towards elementary students. We will walk you through some fun festive cross curricular STEM activites the incorporate both the engineering design process and creativity. Now let's go find that gold!
Send Custom Feedback from a Google Form to a Google Doc Report
Google Forms is an amazing tool for allowing students to submit answers and letting you see all student responses in one place. Forms saves you from wasting time opening individual documents and also provides you with the data you need to adjust instruction and differentiate. The feedback features in Google Forms are okay, but you can make them even better with Google Apps Script. If you can copy and paste you can code! In this workshop, Alice Keeler will introduce you to the basics of coding with Google Apps Script and help you to skip using email as the method for communicating feedback to students. Instead, provide a feedback document that you coded yourself!
College and Career Readiness for Special Needs Students
As special education teachers, we are equally as responsible as our general education colleagues for addressing college and career readiness in our students. Lessons learned in grades K-12 will pave the way for our students, and we should strive to enable our students to show good decision making skills and transition smoothly to life after graduation. Join us for this session as we share strategies for helping students with special needs, and their parents, to identify a path that will lead to greater success in high school and beyond!
What tools can teachers leverage to support English language learners so they can thrive in the classroom? Web-based resources are tools that can make lessons meaningful and accessible to ELLs. In this session, we will look closely at some specific websites and resources that are geared toward ELLs at the middle and high school levels. These sites will help your ELLs build their pronunciation, vocabulary, and writing skills in an interactive way. Come join us as we explore exciting and engaging content for ELLs.
MC: Google Advanced - Session 6 - Using Classroom and Calendar to Support Class Communication
In Session 6 of our Google Educator Advanced Micro-credential, we will explore how you can take your Google Classroom to the next level. We will dive into how you can use Google Classroom, along with Google Calendar, as a tool to keep your students (and their guardians) up to date on what's happening in your classroom!
Have your students educate their peers, parents, the entire school, or the district about the importance of celebrating President's Day! Join us to learn how you can utilize technologies such as Screencastify or Flipgrid to have your students record themselves acting out important scenes from Lincoln's presidency. Then, discover how student work can be pushed out to the school and parents as a Presidential Film Festival!
Student Engagement with Google Tools
Student engagement matters for learning. Google Workspace apps such as Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides, Jamboard, Classroom, and more do not create engagement by themselves. Additionally, paper activities do not always translate well to a digital medium. Google Tools certainly have the potential to create an engaging learning environment when they are paired with pedagogy around what creates engagement. In this workshop, Google Certified Innovator Alice Keeler will show you tried and tested engagement strategies utilizing Google tools.
Digital Tools for Elementary Math
Are you looking for new ways to engage your students in math lessons? In this session, we will dive into the importance of providing your elementary students with digital math tools. We will explore resources available for teachers to model key math concepts for students. We will also discuss how students can use digital manipulatives, worksheets, and websites to take their math understanding to the next level. Join us as we explore how to incorporate digital tools into your teaching toolbox!
MC: Google Advanced - Session 4 - Using YouTube to Curate Digital Instructional Materials
It's time to use YouTube to support different learning models! There are several ways to enhance your lessons using YouTube and its features. Join us for Session 4 of our Google Educator Advanced Micro-credential where we will take a look at how to take advantage of the variety of tools within YouTube.
Making Self-Paced Learning Work for Younger Students
Self-paced learning has become a popular model to facilitate more student-led instruction. With the teacher moving into a guided role in this model, how can this work with younger students? In this session, we'll take a look at some platforms and best practice for making self-paced learning work successfully for some of our youngest learners.
In this second session of our Google Educator Advanced Micro-credential we will focus on the tools within Google Workspace to help keep your Google Docs and Slides organized. Join us as we explore what we feel are the most valuable features within Docs and Slides that will support you as you create engaging activities for your students!
The LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime Set is a premier STEAM learning tool for middle school students. Using familiar LEGO bricks, along with some new easy-to-use hardware, and a drag-and-drop coding language based on Scratch, it engages students in hands-on problem solving and design. Join us as we explore the set from unboxing to the basics of design and incorporating the SPIKE into your classroom. This is a course you do not want to miss!
MC: Google Advanced - Session 1 - Introduction
Welcome to Session 1 of our Google Educator Advanced Micro-credential! In this session, we will introduce you to the sessions that make up this course series, independent practice opportunities, and completion requirements such as the checkpoint assignments. We’ll also discuss where you can access support during the series and introduce you to the main themes and apps we’ll cover throughout the sessions! Join us to learn all the information you’ll need to be successful in our Google Educator Advanced Micro-credential.
Project-Based Learning (PBL) with Google
Join us as we explore how Google can improve the quality of your project-based learning activities. We'll cover how you can use Google Workspace for Education to create PBL activities that promote critical thinking, communication, and collaboration in your classroom. In this course, we'll focus on features that support research, gathering (and analyzing) feedback, and presenting knowledge in your classroom.
Using Nearpod for Brain Breaks
As educators, we know the value of brain breaks. They allow our students to recharge and get moving. Nearpod adds interactivity to our instruction and provides students with meaningful and engaging tools to keep them motivated. Join us as we discuss tools such as VR field trips, polling, collaboration features, and more for effective brain breaks.
KIBO Advanced Coding Extension Set
Now that you and your students have mastered the basics of the KIBO Robot, it's time to kick it up a knoch. Come and see how your students can advance their knowledge of coding concepts with the KIBO Advanced Coding Extension Set. During this course we will talk about subroutines, "If Not' parameters and "Repeat Random" parameters. We will also leave you with some activities to get you and your students started with each new concept. Can't wait to see you there!
Quick Tips for Elementary EdTech
EdTech can seem intimidating when you teach little learners, and so much EdTech professional development is seemingly geared towards older students. Come learn how to implement technology in your elementary classroom and thrive, not just survive, utilizing it! We'll talk routines, free resources, and how to implement technology to amp up your instruction to give your students unforgettable learning experiences.
Ashley is a lifelong learner who is passionate about analyzing data to create informed decisions, differentiating curriculum to meet student needs, and creating innovative pathways for students to grow and reach individualized goals. She is experienced in professional development creation and presentation, marketing products for EdTech platforms, and content-specific course creation for learning platforms.
Many of us have a word wall posted somewhere in our classroom to help our ELL students learn vocabulary. What if you could bring your word wall into the 21st century? Join us as we explore and create digital word walls! In this session, we'll show you everything you need to create digital word walls of your very own and highlight the benefits for your English language learners.
Brain Breaks for Movement and Alertness
According to a growing body of research, scheduled movement in the classroom has positive effects on cognitive development. In this session, we will share our top energizing brain breaks for the classroom to give your students the tools they need to refocus their physical and mental states. Don't miss out on this session if you're looking to incorporate brain breaks into your classroom in a positive and meaningful way!
Better Progress Reports in Google Classroom
Google Classroom is helpful for digital interactions and managing student work with Google Drive. However, one of the weaknesses of Google Classroom is the lack of reports. Classroom teacher Alice Keeler will show you how she uses a free teacher account in Schoolytics.com to create and share better progress reports with students and guardians. Use Alice Keeler's Chrome extension designed to make it even easier to share progress reports and feedback through Google Classroom.
Beyond Seat Hours: Models to Encourage Action and Involvement in Professional Learning
Teachers are active learners. It’s part of the job and in their nature. Covid highlighted the great lengths educators go to find resources and better educate themselves so they can best serve their students. Self-directed, personalized learning -- which we say we want for students -- is sometimes overlooked in the professional learning space as there is a push for "seat hours." How do we change this rhetoric so teachers can spend less time sitting and more time doing? Join Michelle Blanchet from The Educator's Lab as she discusses what self-directed professional learning looks like for teachers and how your school might create a space and tools to support it.
Are you looking for a unique activity using KIBO? Now that the winter months are officially here and snow is starting to fall, we are going to need a snowplow! In this session, we will explore how to turn KIBO into a snowplowing robot to clean up cotton ball snow. We will review the basics of KIBO, discuss important materials needed, and how to add code to make the snowplow do its job. We will also explore the steps for following the engineering design process to design the snowplow, put our work to the test, and make improvements along the way. Once the snowplow has been created, we will dive into some unique activity ideas. Get ready for a flurry of fun with KIBO!
Rube Goldberg Machines with iBlocks
Learn how to use the iBlocks framework to guide your students through the Engineering Design Process, first building context and understanding around Rube Goldberg, simple machines, and then how they come together in a Rube Goldberg Machine. IBlocks content leads students through the planning, design, and construction of their machine and finally, the testing and evaluation, where students learn the importance of refining, remixing, and redesigning.
Redesigning Holiday Packets Using Google Workspace
An extended break, such as a holiday break or summer vacation, can be a recipe for academic regression. In an attempt to prevent any possible regression, most teachers send students home with stapled holiday packets filled with academic activities. Join us as we share strategies and discuss the benefits of redesigning holiday packets using Google applications.
Creating a Winter Wonderland with CAD
The winter season brings to mind beautiful images of landscapes covered in snow and ice. In this session, teachers will learn how to incorporate CAD into their ELA classes. Students will write poems about something that signifies the essence of winter and then create symbols for those poems utilizing TinkerCAD!
Culturally responsive and sustaining teaching are paramount in today's classrooms to ensure equity, inclusivity, and growth for all learners. Discover how to help the growing population of ELLs attain success. In this session, we will focus on helping ELLs reach content objectives by crafting observable and measurable language objectives. We will look at specific methods and resources that will assist you in creating pathways of learning for your ELLs.
Using CAD Design in Your Social Studies Classroom
Part of a students experience in a social studies classroom is learning about the arts and architecture in various cultures throughout history. In this session, you will learn how you can easily implement available computer-aided design (CAD) technologies into your art & architecture lessons to get students thinking creatively.
Ultimaker: Optimizing Your 3D Print
The Cura software by Ultimaker is a free slicing software with over 200 settings to adjust your 3D print to fit your needs. Join us as we show you where to download the software and learn specific skills to enhance the details and optimize your 3D model.
EdTech Essentials: Assess with EdPuzzle
In this session Monica Burns, author of EdTech Essentials will introduce the benefits of formative assessment with digital tools. Participants will explore how digital tools provide a special benefit for students as they increase student opportunities (frequency) and options (choice) to share their learning. This session will focus on formative assessment best practices and how to check for understanding using the resources within EdPuzzle.