February Fun!

Happy February!

This week's blog focuses on February events with STEM challenges that you can do with your students that require little or NO technology!!

Many challenges begin with research.  Don't forget resources such as PebbleGo (K-2) and EPIC! to help your students research an idea before beginning their plan and sketching their ideas out before building!

1. STEM Challenge #1 -Candy Heart Challenges

We like the challenges listed here, but we particularly love this simple engineering challenge.  Give each student or group an index card, and see who can build the strongest bridge that will span the gap between 2 plastic cups.  See how many hearts (or other small items) the bridge can hold!  There are many bridge designs and the shape of the hearts makes balancing tricky, so the students will have to problem solve to get them to balance!

2.  STEM Challenge #2- 100th Day 2D and 3D Designs

Have your students create designs and buildings using materials you have in your classroom. Students receive 100 of a certain building material to plan, create, and perhaps work together to build. Suggestions:

Pattern blocks or LEGOS (Add some math components with these simple activities)

Base 10 blocks  

K'Nex

PomPoms or Cotton Balls
Buttons
Play Money- coins and bills
Snap Cubes

Once completed, have them snap a picture and share on Seesaw or create a 100th day slideshow!

3.    President Macaroni Monument Design Challenge

A monument is a statue, building, or other structure built to commemorate a famous or notable person or event!

In honor of this special month, have students design a monument in honor of their favorite president or another special person in history.  Maybe it will be the Washington Monument or the Lincoln Memorial?

Using macaroni is one option, but you can also have students bring various materials from home or use the materials you already have in your classroom such as tongue depressors, note cards, pattern blocks, pipe cleaners, marshmallows, Playdoh, etc.

When done, have your students reflect using paper or pencil, or FlipGrid and/or Seesaw!

Upcoming Events in OTS

1.  Seesaw Social-  Sign up in OTS HERE if you'd like to receive 1 hour of district PLT for coming to this casual, fun and engaging event right here in Pennridge!  Questions- contact Peg Volak or Erin Reichert.

Goodbye January!

1. 100th Day of School

Here are a few reading and math ideas you might try to celebrate this HUGE event!

• Erin has compiled a list of 10 things you can easily do in your classroom to celebrate the 100th day in Pennridge!  Hope this saves you time!  CLICK HERE!

• EPIC!  Search 100th Day of School (or Groundhog Day, or Super Bowl, or most anything)  and then click on collections to find collections others have created!

• Padlet - Students can then respond to the books they read via Padlet.  Padlet is a free, online bulletin board!  Padlet can be used for most any subject and any topic!  Students can type their responses, include pictures and attachments, and more! Padlet is easy to create and we also have this tutorial created by Chris if it helps!

• 100th day Ozobot activity- Click Here!  Great for grades K-2.

2.  Super Bowl Sunday

Here are 2 activities we found that you and your students might enjoy!

• Mystery Science- Who Invented Football?

• Google Earth- Show students the hometown location of both teams, Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs)  and Levi's Stadium (San Francisco 49ers), as well as where the game will be played in Hard Rock Stadium in Florida.  You can calculate the mileage between, can take a look at the weather differences, and more!  Use street view (see picture) to show what the towns look like, what the stadium looks like...the possibilities are endless!  How can you tie this into what you're already teaching this week!

3.  Groundhog Day- Seesaw Activities Library

There are tons of ready-to-use activities in the library!  Check them out if you're looking for ideas or a way to incorporate Seesaw into what you're already doing.

Also, don't forget last week's post included a Skype Directed Drawing Activity that can be done for Groundhog Day or Presidents' Day!

Ms. McGovern's 3rd Grade at Bedminster with their groundhogs!

Upcoming Events in OTS

1.  Seesaw Social-  Sign up in OTS HERE if you'd like to receive 1 hour of district PLT for coming to this casual, fun and engaging event right here in Pennridge!  Questions- contact Peg Volak or Erin Reichert.

2.  Seesaw- PD in your PJS's for February- Back by popular demand.  Sign up in OTS HERE, and I will email all enrolled participants with further instructions at the beginning of February.  This training allows you to choose topics of interest to you and complete an hour's worth of online training between February 1-February 29.  

2.  Se

January 23

1. Directed Drawings with Skype

During the month of February, we would love to Skype with your students and help them draw something unique in honor of Presidents' Day or Groundhog Day! We will show them where we are located (this could vary), and explain to them how Skype can allow us to communicate all over the world!  If you're new to Skype, this is a stress-free and easy opportunity to practice.  All your students will need is a blank piece of paper and a pencil!   Even if you've never Skyped, don't worry!

Drawings can include a groundhog, George Washington (shown right), or Abraham Lincoln.

These can easily be turned into a Chatterpix and/or posted in Seesaw then, too!

2. PBS Kids

If you've been searching for quality videos to introduce, explain, or enrich a topic, you definitely want to check this out!  WHYY and PBS have curated FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more just for teachers! Search by content or grade level!

  Click Here to get started

3.  Closing Tabs on iPads

Here is a great iPad tip!  Show your students how to close all open tabs in Safari.  First, click the squares shown in picture 1.  Nextr, hold down the "done" button in tab view to close all tabs!

Step 2

Step 1

      


If you'd rather see it in action, click here for the How-To Video

Upcoming Events

• January 24th is National Compliment Day.  The power of a compliment is pretty remarkable:  Either giving or receiving one can boost your happiness and confidence- making it a win-win! This can tie nicely into this month's TAKES PRIDE word- Service!  National Compliment Day is a fun day that can easily include everyone!

• StemCampEDU:  The Weekend.  

On February 15th from 8AM-4PM, join approximately 20 other Pennridge teachers at the Corbett Experience center for a fun and engaging day of learning.  

Regardless of the educator and position, this event is for you:

• Find ways to incorporate STEM into your core subjects
• Find ways to integrate STEM devices you already have, or have access to through the Pennridge technology integrators
• Learn strategies for managing students in a student-centered classroom.
• Find ways to connect the content students are learning in STEM to your homeroom or special area. 

From LEGO EV3, to Makey-Makey, Spheros and Dash, 3D printing, engineering and makerspaces- there is something for everyone!

For more information about this event- check out the link HERE!  And to sign up in OTS for 6 hours of district PLT click here.

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January 16

The new year is often a time to set new goals.  Keep us in mind if we can help you in any of the goals you've set forth professionally this year!  -Erin and Chris

1.   January's Seesaw Goal

Click the link on the left to print these shortcuts!

This month- take a 1-2 page worksheet or activity sheet you typically do, but try it as a Seesaw activity instead!  Students can type, draw, or record their responses right in Seesaw.  And in the newest update, students can also pan and zoom and annotate PDFs.  By doing so, you make it easy to add layers to student learning by letting them explain and reflect on their thinking.  It's also easier to share and save, and cuts down on paper!
If you haven't done so already, we hope you will take this month to explore this user-friendly Activities feature.  Please take 3 minutes to watch the video below on how to do so and CLICK HERE for the short cut icons *shown right) you can use when typing directions for your students. Even if your students have never completed an activity before, this is a perfect place to start!

Uploading PDF documents to Seesaw- 3 minute video

Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Seesaw

Or, if you'd rather- We'd like to come show you and your students how to accomplish the skill above.  We will create and assign the activity shown below (or another of your choosing) and model how to complete the activity with your students.  All you need to do is give a block of 45 minutes that fits in your schedule and we'll do the rest.  This is a great way for your students to learn while you are learning right alongside of them!  

K/1 Activity-  The Crayon Box- self portrait drawing activity

2/3 Activity- I Have a Dream- draw and write activity

4/5 Activity-  MLK Comprehension activities

2.  Device Clean-Up

It's that time of the year.  We wanted to remind everyone of some ways to clean up your devices.

• Devices - Please read here for the tips for cleaning iPads and laptops.
• Computers - This is a great time to clean off your desktop.  No file is safe on your desktop, so please consider moving your files to the cloud- either OneDrive or Google Drive.  Please see these basic instructions for Google Drive or OneDrive for some assistance in managing your files. 

3.  Power Teacher Pro

We have posted PowerSchool tutorial content on the Technology Integrator website HERE.  Hopefully these reminders will help answer any questions you might have as progress reporting time approaches.  Any other questions, please feel free to reach out!

Upcoming Events

• January 24th is National Compliment Day.  The power of a compliment is pretty remarkable:  Either giving or receiving one can boost your happiness and confidence- making it a win-win! This can tie nicely into this month's TAKES PRIDE word- Service!  National Compliment Day is a fun day that can easily include everyone!

• Seesaw Social 2020

Happy New Year!

1.  One-Word Resolutions

Here we sit at the start of another New Year!  365 blank days staring us in the face waiting to be written!  What story will those 365 days tell at the end of this year? That's a big question!  It's why we write resolutions and set goals!  

This year, just pick ONE word!

Brainstorm as a class and encourage your students to think hard about a word they want to be mindful of this year.  This can be professionally, academically, behaviorally, socially, etc. 

Click Here for some video one-word resolutions from some familiar faces around the district!  Enjoy!

By picking one word and doing something, no matter how small, is a step in the right directions and that one step could lead to the next step!  Don't get discouraged if you lose focus from time to time (doesn't that always happen with resolutions!).  Any change you make with your one-word in mind is significant!

Share these one-word resolutions with Seesaw or FlipGrid!  Students (and YOU!) record their word and why they chose it! 

Seesaw- 

  Simply have the students record themselves or a peer 

OR use this activity I've created in the Seesaw Library!

FlipGrid

   Create the one-word topic, share the code with your class and let them record all on one FlipGrid!  If you've never used FlipGrid before, it's easily added in PSD Key and is quick and easy to set up,  Be sure to view the example above!

 If you want an extra set of hands for this part, make sure you let us know!  In a few months, revisit these resolutions and see how you are all doing!  It's easy and fun!

2. Sneezy the Snowman- story retelling with Ozobots

Have you been looking for a way to use Ozobots in your classroom?  We have created this Ozobot activity to accompany the story Sneezy the Snowman.  After reading the story, students cut/paste story parts in the correct order.  Using the Ozobots, they code their way through the story while retelling the story in their own words.  This is a great activity for summarizing and cause/effect, not to mention coding with Ozobots and is a great way to have students record the retelling in Seesaw!  Please feel free to use this activity as you see fit, or let us know if you'd like us to come in!  This activity is best for Grades 1-3, but can easily be adapted for all grade levels!  In addition, if you have another book you'd like an Ozobot activity with, just let us know!  We can create most anything!
You can find most of the activities we have created in this Pennridge Google folder- all activities are ready to use, or feel free to edit as needed!

3. Office 365 Free Licenses

The holiday season might bring new devices into your household. A reminder that all students and staff are entitled to five free licenses of Microsoft Office through their Office 365 accounts.  Instead of purchasing this software through stores or other vendors, please download Office for free using these simple instructions.

December 12

1.  To Helpdesk or Not to Helpdesk?

Are you wondering sometimes if you should email an integrator or put in a helpdesk ticket?  Here is a reminder of what would be considered a helpdesk and what would be perfect for an integrator.  

This week's guest contributor is Diane Miller, Director of IT. 

Use the HELPDESK for:  

•    Hardware related issues
•    Software related issues
•    Staff access issues
•    Student access issues
•    Connection issues (laptops, iPads, phones, printers, Mimios)
•    PSD Key questions
•    SeeSaw questions 

Contact an Integrator directly for:

•    Help with use of hardware in your classroom
•    Help showing you and/or your students how to use a program or software

              

Why do we use the HELPDESK?

•    To ensure the request is routed to the right technician
•    To ensure someone sees the request even if the technician is out of the office
•    To help identify problems that are trending in the district
•    To provide analytics for the number of tickets received and time to complete tickets to help with IT staffing decisions

If you see a tech in your building, they are there to provide service to someone who has entered a ticket.  If they can help you quickly, they will answer a question, but if your issue requires time to be spent, you will most likely be asked to enter a ticket.

When contacting helpdesk, please email helpdesk@pennridge.org or call 855-876-6196.

 Thank you for your cooperation!

2.  Mimio Users

Below are links to Google Drive folders by grade level.  Within each of those folders, you’ll find a Mimio folder with some ideas and activities already submitted by other teachers within Pennridge.  This was the result of Mimio sessions over the past year or two.  If you have something to add or share to these folders, please send it our way to upload, or please let us know so that we can make you an editor on the folder!   Included in each of these folders are directions for downloading Mimio presentations.  In addition, please remember that Mimioconnect.com is the “teachers pay teachers” of Mimio presentations- all FREE and completely editable!  Sometimes this is a great place to get ideas of how to creatively use your Mimio and a great place to start!  

Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

These folders will show in your “Shared with Me” in Google Drive.  If you feel you’ll use them often, simply right click on the folder in Google and choose “Add to My Drive” for quick access!

3.  Virtual Manipulatives

Check out these amazing and FREE web-based manipulatives from Toy Theater.  Students can model abstract math concepts for deeper comprehension.  There is something here for everyone- including art and music! These tools can be a great way for kids to interact with a concept and then screenshot their work in Seesaw.  Just add microphone to add an explanation and you have yourself a quick assessment!  

Powerpoint, PSD Key Trick, and Hour of Code

1.  PowerPoint "Design Ideas"

PowerPoint has a hidden "gem"  that will help you create some fantastic variety within your slideshow.  In PowerPoint, cue up a slide that has some content on it, perhaps some with both text and at least an image.  Then, click on the "Design" tab and look all the way to the right for "Design Ideas."  After choosing this icon, PowerPoint will automatically create some unique and beautiful combinations for the content on that slide.

2.  PSD Key "Trick"
If you use multiple tabs, you may easily lose your original tab opened for PSD Key.  To get back to your PSD Key in ANY tab, use the home button, as shown below!

3.  Computer Science Week- Dec. 9-13th

Each picture includes a link to an activity you can do at any time!
Click the link below!

The Hour of Code started as a 1-hour introduction to computer science to show that anybody can learn the basics (even Kindergartners and First Graders), and to broaden participation in the field of computer science.  It has become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts.  

We hope you'll pick 1 hour in the month of December to give this a try, and we hope to see many teachers expand their knowledge during the 2019 Computer Science Education Week which will be December 9-13.  

Even if you aren't comfortable with coding yourself, we have included some activities that you can do right alongside of your students! 

Click HERE for a list of activities that we have compiled that we know your students will LOVE!  

They are all web-based and can be done at anytime! Use this as a springboard or an extension activity! This will also be posted on your students' PSD Key, so you students will have easy access to the links!  Most of all- Have fun!