Fidget Spinners - If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em

Hate fidget spinners yet?

Check out Erin Flanagan's post with some fun end-of-the-year activities to incorporate this toy that your students love.

Use fidget spinners to examine scientific principles, enter into design thinking, or just make a cool spinner for math.

Might as well join 'em.

Create Class Lists with Software that Helps Place Students

Every year, much time and care is put into creating next year's class lists.

Monica Burns at ClassTechTips.com wrote a post about a new software program called Class Composer.  It is "designed to eliminate the cumbersome process of sorting students manually into different classes for the next school year. Instead of manually sorting a series of index cards with information on gender, academic needs, and placement requests this tool uses the same data to create a set of classes where students are placed in the perfect spot before the school year starts. Teachers can then click and drag students into other classes to fine-tune student placement with real time data updates."

Monica states that "they offer a free grade-level trial so you can see if it is the right fit for your school as well as subscriptions for both the school-level and district-level."

So, it's something you could use this year for free!

Click here to see a demo video

Click here to go to the Class Composer website

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!

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:

Math

Reading

Science

MTAS

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!

Book Creator is the Best Ever and You Should Try It

Students learn more when they create something to demonstrate their learning.

With the Book Creator app (on all iPads on our cart), your students can create from a blank slate or from a template.

Click on the following linked words to see some adorable things my daughter has done with Book Creator:

Students can show their skills in reading, writing, or art.  They can document science experiments or life experiences.  They can organize research to make a final product that is pleasing to the eye.  

This tool is ideal for K-6.  Mrs. Tongen's Kindergarteners have already created their first books!  (Click here to see them.)

Notify Beth if you are interested in trying Book Creator in your classroom.  I can help by creating a content-related template for all your students to edit, coming in to introduce the tool (and conduct follow-up lessons adding to their skill set), and being there to assist during your class period.

Sign up for TAT Triage Right From Your Google Calendar

You can now easily see when the next TAT Triage meeting will be, and sign up for it within Google Calendar.  First, make sure that you are subscribed to the "MLE Meetings and Schedules - Internal Calendar" - learn how to do this here.  (Only people within our organization can view this calendar.)

Once subscribed to our internal calendar, locate the next upcoming TAT Triage meeting and click on it.

Next, click on "More details".

To sign up for a time, click on the link in the description of the event.  It will take you to the TAT Triage Google Spreadsheet.  

Once you have selected a time and entered your name, you can close the Google Spreadsheet tab and you will be returned to Google Calendar.  If desired, you can then "Add a Notification" for the TAT Triage meeting.  This means you will receive a reminder shortly before the meeting, so you don't forget!

Want to suggest another upcoming event which would benefit from having a digital signup?  Contact Beth!

Google Calendar - a Tool For All

As a Google school, Calendar is a tool that works best when we are all using it.

Have you started using Google Calendar?

Click here to be brought up to date on how to use this tool.

Then, when Mr. Hansen or Mr. Sawatzke sends you an invitation to the next meeting using Google Calendar, you will be prepared. Confidently click "yes" and it will be added to your upcoming events.

If you attended the Google Calendar training for Elementary Staff, thanks!  Remember to open your Google Calendar every day along with your email.