Classroom Website

Establishing a classroom website is a great way to publish and share student work and content with other students as well as parents.  You can also empower your students by having them create their own webpage on your classroom site.  One easy way to make this happen is by using Google Sites.

We, SAD1, are a GAFE (Google Apps for Education) school.  So, we have access to many of Google's apps.  Every user has the ability to utilize Google Sites and create your own website FREE.  There are hundreds of video tutorials on YouTube that can help you learn the ropes and build a simple website to host your classroom publications and digital content.

I personally have worked with Google Sites extensively.  And have found them very easy to use and learn.  As far as web design goes, Google Sites may appear to be limited on how flashy it can look, however today's web design is all about simplicity and minimalism.  Look at Google's design practices.

According to Marzano Research, using a classroom website is a great way to celebrate success (element 3 of the Teaching Framework Learning Map)

If you have any questions or would like for me to help guide you in to creating your own classroom website, please feel free to contact me.

Celebrating Success

Want to find an opportunity to celebrate success?

Utilize your Moodle course or Google Classroom

Excerpt From: Sonny Magana & Robert J. Marzano. “Enhancing the Art & Science of Teaching With Technology.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/SuDCU.l

SMART Response "Clickers"

A great way to get formative assessment is utilizing on-the-spot quizzing or surveying software and products.  If you have iPads for the classroom services like Socrative and Kahoot work really well between teacher and students.  However, if you lack a 1to1 device like an iPad, another useful product is the SMART Response handheld devices.  Students can easily and quickly respond to formative assessment by entering their answers or text via a handheld device.  SAD1 has about 8 or 9 cases that are readily available for classroom to use.

When introducing a new learning goal, have your students paraphrase the new goal in their own words to get some feedback on your students' understanding of the goal's purpose (Marzano, pg 75).  These, also, work very well with on-the-spot questions.  The software is integrated with SMART's Notebook software, where you receive the results and are able to visually collect data with a pie chart or bar graph.  Preparing in advance, you can assign each student an ID which will allow you to track student progress.

If you are interested in using these, or just doing a trial run, let me know and I would love to stop by and help you get set up for this.

Magaña, Sonny, and Robert J. Marzano. "Communicating Learning Goals, Tracking Student Progress, and Celebrating Success." Enhancing the Art & Science of Teaching with Technology. Bloomington, IN: Marzano Research Laboratory, 2014. 75. Print.

How to Search Gmail and Drive

Great tutorial!  Had to feature this!

Google Gooru

If you have not already, I highly recommend Google Gooru as a valuable resource for learning to make the most of your Google Apps - Gmail, Drive, Calendar, etc.  I subscribe to their newsletter and I am always finding useful, relevant tutorials and helps.

Here is an article they posted today that I found very useful.

4 Things You Can Do Right Now To Create A Perfectly Organized Google Drive


Check them out today.

#EdTech: Clearly Articulating Learning Goals

Utilizing your Moodle course or creating a Google Site are just two ways you can keep your students ahead with clearly articulating learning goals.

Excerpt From: Sonny Magana & Robert J. Marzano. “Enhancing the Art & Science of Teaching With Technology.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/SuDCU.l

Technology vs Technology Integration

Excerpt From: Sonny Magana & Robert J. Marzano. “Enhancing the Art & Science of Teaching With Technology.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/SuDCU.l

Created using canva.com

Dr. Marzano and his team from this book took a look at both positive, negative and neutral views of whether technology is making an impact on learning or whether it is being used at a "trojan horse" for policy reform.  I think this quote sums it all up; at least the second part of this.

This is Technology Integration.