Terrific Technology To Try!: Week 4: Summer Blog Challenge

Hello there!  Welcome to another weekly installment of this Summer Blog Challenge!  Thank you for visiting today!

This post is week 4 of 8 in the #8WeeksofSummer Blog Challenge for educators.

Screencastify!

While we were fulltime remote and later in hybrid learning (from September until the end of March), I read a chapter from a book every day as part of "At Home Work."   I borrowed ebooks from my local library.  I would then read a chapter and record as I read on Screenscastify.  To ensure the kids had listened and understood, I made quizzes.  I would screenshot (I bet I have broken a lot of copyright laws) a passage and ask a question on a Google Form.

     Here is an example from a Poppleton book.  I love and cannot live without the snipping tool which allows me to make these screenshots.  I still use the snipping tool and highly recommend checking it out if you have not used it!

       Thanks to all my videos, I got recognized in my district by Screencastify.  This is the first time I am telling anyone about this because I don't think my family would even understand (even though they hear me reading and acting out the voices).

Next up is:  More About Google Forms

     A lot of my At Home Work I assigned was made on Google Forms.  It is self-correcting, and I know right away who still needs to finish work.

     During hybrid learning, I wanted to make sure that all my students read the Morning Message, so I turned that into a reading assignment:

This way all students got to read the message and answer the questions.  I always had 5 questions, and one of them was the answer to the Fact of the Day.  My Morning Message also reviews something we learned the day before.  When we have time, I like to ask questions that relate to what we read in the message.  Reading the Morning Message is the last part of our Morning Meeting.

     You can read more about Morning Meetings here.

More About Pear Deck

     I am a HUGE fan of Pear Deck.  I spent so much time teaching myself how to use this add-on and how to use it in breakout rooms.  Here is a link  to a blog post I wrote about Draggable activities.  

      In addition, you can even earn badges!  Badges must be the new thing because I have created a folder for them!

     As always, I appreciate your visit and comments!