Canva has updated their policy for student sharing. We thought you would like to know. Many of you are using Canva in your classes to engage your students and create exciting opportunities for learning. Please see Canva’s statement below.
Dear Educators,
As educational technology integration specialists, our primary mission is to support and empower you in effectively utilizing technology to enhance your instructional practices and ultimately enrich the learning experiences of our students. We understand that incorporating technology into your teaching can be both exciting and challenging, and we are here to provide you with the necessary guidance and resources every step of the way.
Through personalized coaching and professional development sessions, we will help you explore innovative tools and applications that align with your teaching objectives. Whether it’s utilizing interactive multimedia presentations, learning management systems, or online collaborative platforms, we aim to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to create dynamic and engaging lessons that captivate your students’ imaginations.
Moreover, we believe in fostering a supportive community of educators where best practices in educational technology are shared, and collaboration is encouraged. By organizing professional development, small group sessions, and one-on-one assistance, we will facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences, enabling you to learn from your peers and stay updated on the latest trends in Edtech.
Our commitment to your success extends beyond the classroom. We will be available to address any concerns or questions you may have, and we welcome your feedback on how we can further improve our support services. Our shared goal is to create a technology-rich learning environment that not only embraces innovation but also cultivates critical thinking, creativity, and digital literacy skills in our students.
Thank you for your dedication to education and your willingness to embrace technology as a powerful tool in the teaching and learning process. Together, we will transform education and shape the future of our students. Let’s embark on this journey of exploration and growth, and let the possibilities of educational technology inspire us to reach new heights in our instructional endeavors.
With warm regards,
Eric Murphy & Jimmy Stewart
Technology Integration Specialists
Due to a change in JAMF (our mobile device management system that manages student iPads), some students have been unable to manage their Bluetooth connections. The MIS department has implemented a change that will allow students to have full control of the Bluetooth settings on their iPad. This change will be implemented next week on Wednesday, February 24th.
A few things to keep in mind…
After this change, students will be able to connect or reestablish Bluetooth connected devices such as headphones, keyboards, or other adaptive equipment.
This change also allows for a student to turn off Bluetooth on her or his device. In general, this would not be an issue. However, turning off Bluetooth will affect the use of Apple Classroom. Apple Classroom uses two wireless technologies to operate: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
If you notice that a student has “dropped out” of your Apple Classroom, it may be because she or he has disabled Bluetooth. She or he should simply turn it back on by going to the iPad settings app. Then, on the left-hand column, choose ‘Bluetooth.’ Then touch the slider until it is green.
Do you sometimes get an error when using Google Chrome browser and searching on Google’s search engine? These tend to be “certificate issues” that are resolved either at the state or county level IT departments. Often times, they resolve after restarting your computer.
In the meantime, here is a trick: Search instead on the Irish Google website. The address is simply google.ie. The search results are essentially the same as the United States Google search site, and they are in the English language.
Today is the start of second semester and a new nine-week period. Did you not quite have enough time to add all your grades before your courses changed? No worries. You can still add grades to your now-archived second term courses.
Wood County Schools teachers and students have free access to the Discovery Education Experience until June 30, 2020. If you would like to learn more about the platform and how to use it with students, please click on the link below to visit the DE “upcoming events” page and check out their calendar for online PD sessions. Most sessions appear to be only 30 minutes in length and are repeated multiple times each week.
First and foremost, hello and I hope you are staying safe, well, and continuing to social distance and wash your hands! If you are like me, days and nights are running together, it is hard for me to remember what the actual date is, and I am looking for anything to help keep me in a new “normal routine.” With all of the negative we are faced with day after day, I have also had to be very mindful to look for the positives in each day and situation.
When it comes to teaching and education, the same proves true. We can get caught up in the “rabbit hole” of focusing on the negatives of our new “teaching and learning normal.” We have and are continuing to work through the challenges of distance teaching and learning virtually overnight, we all miss our colleagues (even the ones who heat leftover fish and broccoli up in the teacher’s lounge), we miss our classrooms and the challenges and celebrations that each day would bring, and most of all we miss our students and the joy they bring to our lives.
Let’s pause: What if we change our mindset?
What if now is the time for us to focus on reimagining what teaching and learning looks, feels, and sounds like? What if this is our opportunity to have time to create new lessons, reflect and refresh our teaching practices, find ways for students to be more creative with their learning, or find new tools to help students engage in lessons?
This is an excellent time for those things. Why? Because in response to COVID-19, there has been an outpouring of support by many educational companies, app developers, and learning platforms who have decided to give teachers and students free access to use their tools and platforms through the end of this school year- and some for even more extended periods of time. Now is a perfect time to try out some of these resources and also partake in many of the free online PD sessions they are offering with their products!
I hope you get the opportunity to check out some of the resources that have been compiled. If you have questions or need help getting started, please do not hesitate to reach out! Enjoy!
Discovery Education– https://app.discoveryeducation.com/learn/signin -Enjoy free access through June 30, 2020 to content for virtually any subject and grade level. Browse the collection for virtual field trips, skill builders, activities, challenges, and videos from many DE partners including MythBusters, MLB, NBA, Shark Week, and many, many more. Login Required (an email was sent to teachers about this). If needed, please email Amber Matty (amber.matty@k12.wv.us) for assistance with login information.
Scholastic Learn at Home– https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html -Cross curricular projects based on a meaningful story or video
World Book Online– https://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Login?ed=wb- World Book Encyclopedia online- eBooks are available plus video and an early learning area built into the site. Requires username & password.
Username: 4west
Password: virginia
CommonLit– https://www.commonlit.org -Quality reading passages for grades 3-12. Includes parent guides, read aloud options, translation options, questions, and other tools. Students can search the library according to book, genre, grade level, theme, etc. Also includes some Spanish texts.
Book Creator– Do your kids like making stories and books? Create a Book Creator account!
App Store for iPad- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/book-creator-one/id661166101
Web Version- https://app.bookcreator.com/sign-in/teacher
Epic!–https://www.getepic.com -Epic! is a digital library for kids 12 & under. Epic is free for teachers!
Storyline Online– https://www.storylineonline.net- Online read alouds provided by the Screen Actor’s Guild.
Abdo Digital Bookshelf– https://abdodigital.com- Free access until May 31st
Bluford High eAudiobooks– https://www.bluford.org/audiobooks/
Urban high school stories
eSebco Library Site– http://library.esebco.com/site/login
450 multiuser ebooks- PreK to Adult
Username: keepreading
Password: sebco
Student ID#: 1
Free until June 30
Lit2Go– https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/- Free online collection of stories and poems- Classic literary & primary documents
Math Learning Center– https://www.mathlearningcenter.org/resources/apps- Online collection of manipulatives including: Fractions, Math Clock, Money Pieces, Geoboard, Math Vocabulary, Number Frames, Number Line, Number Rack, Number Pieces, Pattern Shapes (Apps are downloadable through Apple App Store and the Chrome Store if you have tablets available)
Illuminations: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics– https://illuminations.nctm.org/lessons-activities.aspx- Lessons and activities for various grade level math topics and skills. There are also interactives- games and math tools for students to explore.
Bedtime Math– bedtimemath.org– Bedtime Math is a national nonprofit that ignites kids’ curiosity and learning by unleashing the fun in math. It offers playful online math problems for parents to do with their kids every day, as well as lively hands-on games.
Steve Spangler Science– https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/- Science experiments
Mystery Science– https://mysteryscience.com/school-closure-planning- Science mini-lessons, explorations, and activities
San Diego Zoo– https://kids.sandiegozoo.org
Cincinatti Zoo– http://cincinnatizoo.org/home-safari-resources/- The zoo is closed, however, they are bringing the zoo to you! Live zoo safari- daily at 3:00 pm
Animal Web Cams
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams
https://www.houstonzoo.org/explore/webcams
Scratch– https://scratch.mit.edu- Create stories, games, and animations using coding skills
Code.org– https://code.org/- Kids create projects using computer science skills and coding
DuoLingo– https://www.duolingo.com- Learn a new language or practice the one you’re currently learning!
Tinkercad– https://www.tinkercad.com- Design in 3D!
Go Noodle– https://www.gonoodle.com/for-educators/ Fun exercise, movement, and mindfulness activities and videos
Brain Pop/Brain Pop Jr./Brain Pop ELL/Brain Pop for Educators– Animated movies and activities that encourage self-directed learning and exploration of the world
***Free access to all BrainPop resources for Wood County students and educators as long as school is closed due to Coronavirus***
Login: WoodCoWV
Password: Wood1234
https://educators.brainpop.com
Khan Academy– https://www.khanacademy.org – Learning resources for students Pre-K through 12th Grade & college prep. Parents can sign up for free and create a login for their child(ren).
Expeditions– Explore the world with Expeditions! Explore history, science, the arts, and the natural world using Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/expeditions/id1131711060
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.vr.expeditions