Saturday, March 18, 2017

Interactive Digital Sticky Notes


How many small notes do you have on your desk?  How about the counter at your house?

I always seem to have a lot, and the one I need is never within reach.  That is why Google Keep has changed my life.

Here is how to make magic with Google Keep:
Download the app on your Apple or Android device.  Sign in using either your work or personal Google account.

Your phone is always with you . . . so from now on, whenever you want to jot something down, do it in this app.  

I have found it especially helpful for To-Do lists and groceries because there is a check box function.  It has even helped me keep track of a small group of students I meet with three times per week - I know exactly how many times we have met.  It even moves completed tasks to the bottom of the list!



The best part is that you can add collaborators to any note, just like with a Google Doc.  My family members collaborate on the grocery list and can add to it from their devices.  In a work setting, teams can create task lists for upcoming events and check off what they got finished.

Bonus: You can also access your Google Keep notes via your computer, which I like better if I have a lot to type.

Go give it a try!

Monday, March 13, 2017

MCA Prep Online



We all know it's just around the corner.
Here are some resources to help your students be prepared.

Tests now contain "Technology Enhanced Items" such as:

text dropdown menus

drag and drop

multiple selection

label an image

numeric entry with units

text selection/highlighting

editing text

equation builder

drawing an object

Julie, who blogs at The Techie Teacher has written this post to point you toward resources where students can practice these skills.

I have also collected a list of sites for Reading MCA practice - view them here.

And, as always, there are the official online samplers:


And lastly, this advice from our (now 7th grade) students back when they took their first 3rd grade Math MCA's . . . it still stands today.  Show this to your students for inspiration!