Celebrate Your Inner Space Geek and Share it With Your Students!

Crowd of people looking at eclipse in Paris, France. Photo from the Library of Congress

Yep. we are both more than a little excited about this once in a lifetime experience. The Solar Eclipse on August 21st offers a great chance to truly teach (with active learning and observation), about the cosmos.

We have compiled a list of resources for use while teaching about the eclipse including webinars, lectures, podcasts, lesson plans, maps.... well you get the picture. The list goes on and on. We have also worked with great partners to create some resources and have collaborated with them as well to curate resources. Click on the links below to access the resources and feel free to share them with others!

Most importantly...Be safe! Be outside but protect your eyes. Check out this NASA link for safety tips.

Resources

For a great link to historical primary sources and content from the Library of Congress check out this Annotated Resource Set created by the Western Region Teaching with Primary Sources team.

For links to the upcoming MiniPages and student developed content check out the Colorado Newspapers in Education resource page.

For resources from science and space partners like NASA and the American Astronomical Association (and who could forget Bill Nye) click here.

For recommendations from the National Park Service and National Park Foundation click here.

For webinars, podcasts, and video check out this link

For lesson plans check out this link.

For articles and student content check out this link.

For the whole list - just click here and share!

As a closing note .... we wanted to share one of our favorite videos that tells students about each phase of an eclipse, how to see it in the totality plain and the C1, C2, C3 and C4 phases!  Don't miss each part of an eclipse and meet a fellow geek who created an app that will help you identify the exact place to stand to see a total eclipse and follow the phases!  Bring on the Shadow Snakes, Diamond Ring and Bailey's Beads!

Thank you #smartereveryday !

You Might Be a Geeky Teacher If You Are Nearpod Certified!

Nearpod is a wonderful application that allows teachers to control student screens, delivery and the pace of their lesson.  It is so easy to use!  You can start with one of their lessons from the library or upload your PowerPoint or Google slides and then add interactive quizzes, 3D puzzles, virtual reality field trips, drawing, memory games, websites and so much more to your lesson! 

Check out this training tutorial to get started!

I'm Certified!  You can earn a badge too! 

I wish someone had told me:

-How easy Nearpod is!

-How to upload my slides and add cool stuff!

-How to see the storyboard to differentiate lesson! (scroll over the bottom and slides will pop up and you can decide what your students interact with next)

- How to become a Nearpod Certified Educator!
Click on the link to see the requirements.  Attend a webinar or training sessons, create your  account, teach 5 lessons and apply to Nearpod!  




Citations
https://d1e2bohyu2u2w9.cloudfront.net/education/sites/default/files/experience-media-file/nearpod1gettingstarted.jpeg

Collaborating in G Suite

Click on the image to access the presentation! 

Thanks for joining us for a brief overview of ways to collaborate using GAFE (Google Apps for Education) This post includes resources in an electronic format so you can both reference them in the future, and use them to learn more about these apps and how you can apply them to your classroom.

As you will recall, 21st Century Learning includes the 4 C's (communication, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration) as the foundation of skills that we need to make sure our students are equipped with as they move into a world where we are preparing them for jobs that don't yet exist. The GAFE resources, and others on this blog, can support you in the integration of these skills in the classroom. As you learn, don't hesitate to contact us!  We would love to collaborate and help you find success with Google Apps for Education in your class!

Resource Links:

Google Docs are the center piece of collaboration!  Share a document with a group of students, staff, committee or any group where you need everyone to have access and shared editing rights.  You can comment without changing the document and work to make sure your students have feedback from you or from their peers!  Powerful!

Google Hangouts - Hangout with a National Park Ranger, Global Read Aloud Class or other expert!
Google Forms - Collect science experiment information, anecdeotal evidence to a spreadsheet!
Using Google Forms with Students
Google Sites - Create a website for your project or even a portfolio to track all of your collaborations!
Google Map Historic Locations Re-created in Minecraft and Pinned to a Map!
Google Maps - Share a map and pin locations from summer vacation, book settings or historic places!
Google Draw - Pre-assessment, questions or discussions can happen with colorful shapes!
Google Drawing Collaboration of What You Are Reading!

Becoming a Google Certified Educator

Working to become a Level 1 Google Certified Educator was my personal growth goal for this year!  It was an amazing journey to go through the training and to highlight the work being done within my classes and with other teachers.  I had it on my list of things to do for several years but there was always a lesson or a teacher that I was working with to create and utilize GAFE (Google Apps For Education).  So, why get certified if I was already doing the work?  I decided that I needed to prove to myself that I could earn the certification and put my money where my mouth had been for so many years.  I am so glad I did and you will be too!

Work through the Fundamentals Training Center to review what you know about the G Suite and to see ideas and applications from other teachers.  You can quiz yourself, try the apps and get ready for the test!  I used this timeline to pace myself through the year with the goal of taking the test in April

I followed the timeline put out by my district Instructional Integrator Team and worked through Google Classroom with others who were on this journey with me.  We practiced a Google Hangout and answered each other's questions.  Check to see if your district or state offers a cohort like this.

Use this checklist to see what you already know and target new learning to prepare for the test.

I found Slyvia Duckworth's Blog post helpful and created the google folder and list of sites to have at the ready before the test.  I made a folder on my bookmark list and added the google sites in alphabetical order for easy access during the test.  The test was like nothing I have ever done before.  It is a three hour timed test and once you login, you have to finish in one sitting!  You get to show what you know and work through the test. You need to pass with an 80% and the test is scored while you wait so you will know right away whether or not you pass.  You have the opportunity to re-take the test if you need to after 14 days.

These exams are worth taking and you will learn more about GAFE, even if you feel like you already know what you are doing.  The process will help you see what areas you know and what you need to work on.  If you pass, you get to proudly display your badges wherever you want.  So, I am proudly displaying the badge that I earned taking the Google Educator Level I test!  I can't wait to see your badge!

Summer Reading Incentive Ideas!

We are working with READ-O cards for students!  Check out these cards and personalize them for your library or school!

READ-O Board
READ-O Activities