Our monthly #GSDEdTech Teacher Chat series continues in May with the topic #letthemlead: Empowering Students to Take the Lead. This chat will be held on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at 4 P.M via the #GSDEdTech hashtag on Twitter. To go along with our theme of student empowerment, a chat participant will be randomly chosen to win a classroom set of Canon PowerShot digital cameras, which their students can use to record video and take high quality digital photos. [Read more…] about Upcoming Event: #GSDEdTech Teacher Chat | May 11, 2017
Archives for 2017
Granite District Battle of the Books 2016-2017 Competition Winners
On April 13, 2017, over 50 student teams from 18 different elementary schools in Granite School District converged on Gearld Wright Elementary for the first annual Granite District Battle of the Books competition. Student teams went head-to-head in this “Family Feud”-style game, in which their knowledge of the 15 books on the official 2016-2017 reading lists was put to the test.
We congratulate all of the students who read and participated in the battles, whether in their school or at the district competition. We thank all of the media clerks, teachers, administrators, parent volunteers, and others who tirelessly supported this program and inspired our students to find excitement in reading.
Check out the winners of our 2016-2017 competitions!
3rd-4th Grade Winners
5th-6th Grade Winners
2017-2018 Battle of the Books Competition
Any who are interested in learning how their school can participate in next year’s Battle of the Books program are invited to one of two informational meetings which will be held on Friday, May 12, 2017, at your choice of 12:00-12:30 PM and 2:00-2:30 PM. These meetings will be held at the Educational Technology Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) at 5300 West Cherrywood Lane, West Valley City, UT 84120.
If you have any questions about Battle of the Books, please contact Nikki Gregerson, District Elementary Library Supervisor in the Educational Technology department.
Student Spotlight: Video Projects for Refugee Students, Oakridge Elementary
The 6th Grade students at Oakridge Elementary have been working with their teachers in Project Based Learning. The focus of their projects has primarily been around how we can support refugee students in our area. With the support of their teachers Krystal Bowen, BJ Nelson, and Laurel Myers, students researched areas of need and then created videos that would support a student’s transition to our school. This allowed them not only to explore new cultures but also utilize new technologies such as screen casting, video editing and voice-overs.
Here are examples of their work, produced and shared using Adobe Spark. Click on a screenshot to view the video.
Spotlight Author: Melissa White, School Technology Specialist at Oakridge Elementary and Valley Crest Elementary.
Video: Kindergartners and Chromebooks
Teresa Bruin, one of our district educational technology team leaders, recently brought Chromebooks to kindergarten classes at Hunter Elementary for students to try. The goal was to see how easily the young students could work with the Chromebooks in various hardware configurations (touch screen, trackpad, large mouse, or small mouse.) She recorded this rough video, which shows just how quickly the kindergartners learned to use the devices and how excited they were about their success.
What’s New in OverDrive: Young Adult Titles, Spring 2017
These images highlight a few of the young adult titles that have been added to Granite’s OverDrive Digital Library recently. Click on them to download a high quality PDF that you can use to print out and display in your library or classroom, or right click and save the images to post them on a school or class website.
(Granite’s OverDrive provides free access to ebooks and digital audiobooks for all students and staff in Granite School District. Granite’s OverDrive can be accessed on the web at http://granite.lib.overdrive.com or via OverDrive apps designed for various mobile devices. For more information or help getting started with OverDrive, visit https://www.graniteschools.org/edtech/overdrive.)
Technology Tip: Create Virtual Manipulatives With Google Drawings
A set of math manipulatives for students can be very expensive. A set like you see below can cost around $250.00.
You can create virtual manipulatives for all of your students for free using Google Drawings! Students can use their own set of virtual manipulatives on their Chromebooks or other devices. [Read more…] about Technology Tip: Create Virtual Manipulatives With Google Drawings
Upcoming Event: Granite Battle of the Books | April 13, 2017
Join us for our very first annual Granite School District Battle of the Books!
April 13, 2017 | Thursday | 5:00 PM
Gearld Wright Elementary School
6760 West 3100 South, West Valley City, UT 84128
[Read more…] about Upcoming Event: Granite Battle of the Books | April 13, 2017
Upcoming Event: #GSDEdTech Teacher Chat, April 13, 2017
We continue our new monthly #GSDEdTech Teacher Chat series in April with the topic #letthemlead: Empowering Students to Take the Lead. This chat will be held on Thursday, April 13, 2017 from 4-5 P.M via the #GSDEdTech hashtag on Twitter. The discussion will be moderated by Chris Larsen, Director of Educational Technology in Granite School District. [Read more…] about Upcoming Event: #GSDEdTech Teacher Chat, April 13, 2017
Granite EdTech Monthly Newsletter: April 2017
Granite EdTech Monthly Newsletter – April 2017
The latest edition of our department’s monthly newsletter recently went out via email to teachers in Granite School District. If you missed it you can access it here.
Highlights from our April 2017 Newsletter:
- Educational Technology’s Website Gem
- Spotlight: Stephanie Seely, LMETS at Granite Connection High
- Tech Tip: Create Virtual Manipulatives With Google Drawings
- UCET 2017 Highlights
- Epic! For Educators: A Free Reading Resource for the Classroom
[Read more…] about Granite EdTech Monthly Newsletter: April 2017
Granite Ed. Tech. Presentations at UCET 2017
Last week the Utah Coalition for Educational Technology held their annual conference at the University of Utah. Sessions were led for and by educators, and many of Granite’s teachers, school technology specialists, and library media educational technology specialists attended and presented at the conference. Below is a roster of the sessions shared by Granite teachers, along with links to resources from the sessions if available.
Session Title | Presenter(s) |
---|---|
BreakoutEDU | Brenda Duford (STS, Silver Hills El.), Stephanie Evans (STS, Monroe El.), and Dave Taylor (STS, Moss El. and Pioneer El.) |
BreakoutEDU | Michelle Reed (LMETS, Jefferson Jr. High) and Mary Anne Wiebe-Strong (LMETS, Churchill Jr. High) |
BreakoutEDU | Tricia Fenton (STS, Vista El. and Western Hills El.) and Sarah Robinson (STS, Oakwood El. and Calvin Smith El.) |
Bringing the World into Your Classroom with Virtual Fieldtrips | Adam Brough (STS, Diamond Ridge El. and Gourley El.), Samantha Mitchell (STS, Academy Park El.), and Will Walden (STS, Bacchus El. and Rosecrest El.) |
Code Unplugged | James Baliff (STS, Bridger El. and Jackling El.) and Aaron Kammerman (STS, Hartvigsen School) |
Creating Stories, Illustrations, and Collages with iPads | Michelle Hanson (STS, Hillsdale El.) |
Creating VR for the Classroom | Becky Schaap (STS, Copper Hills El. and Twin Peaks El.) and Tom Sparks (STS, Penn El. and Spring Lane El.) |
Digital Breakout Edu | Tiffany Pontius (STS, Cottonwood El. and Truman El.) and Keith Reidford (STS, Hillside El. and South Kearns El.) |
Engaging Students with Toys, Games, and Comics | Quinn Rollins (District Social Studies Curriculum Specialist) |
Get Hyped About HyperDocs | Stephanie Mondragon (LMETS, Valley Jr. High), Jenny Peirce (LMETS, Kearns High School), and Stephanie Seely (LMETS, Granite Connection High School) |
Go Unplugged: Coding Without Computers (For Kids!) | Cherie Anderson (Granite District Elementary Educational Technology Specialist), Celia Powell (Granite District Secondary Educational Technology Specialist) |
Googlizing The Amazing Race | Kris Fox (STS, Elk Run El.), Joell Wilkins (STS, Farnsworth El. and Woodstock El.), and Jaime Woolley (STS, Taylorsville El.) |
Incorporating Music and Movement in the Classroom with Go Noodle! | Krystal Plott (STS, Driggs El. and Wright El.) |
K-3 Meets G Suite | Teresa Bruin (Granite District Elementary Educational Technology Specialist) and Heidi Meenen (Granite District Elementary Educational Technology Specialist) |
La La Land Yourself into Digital Storytelling | Kristen Johnson (Granite District Elementary Educational Technology Specialist) |
LEGO League Robot Games | Michelle Reed (LMETS, Jefferson Jr. High) |
Maker Space: Mechanical Hands | Sarah Eyring (STS, Granite Technical Instute), Samantha Spangler Mitchell (STS, Academy Park El.), and Davina Sauthoff (LMETS, Wasatch Jr. High) |
Motivating Upper Elementary Through Popular Culture: Providing the "Why" | Keith Reidford (STS, Hillside El. and South Kearns El.) |
Orange Slice Rubric Creator | Jeremy Smith (Spanish Teacher, Taylorsville High) and Lorraine Wyness (LMETS, Taylorsville High) |
Show What You Know - Creative Assessments in the Elementary Classroom | Maggie Tanner (STS, Redwood El.) and Kareena Steed Vance (STS, Mill Creek El. and Sandburg El.) |
Sphero Olliempics | Alisha Kerby (STS, Roosevelt El.), Ashley Moore (STS, Lincoln El.), Karen Tinsley (STS, Stansbury El.) |
Technology and Educational Equity | Chris Larsen (Director, Educational Technology) |
The $10,000 mistake: Essential Steps Every Teacher Should Know | Dale Roberts (Director, Information Systems) |
They want formative..Now What? | Misty Butterfield (STS, Beehive El. and Oquirrh Hills El.) and Melissa White (STS, Oakridge El. and Valley Crest El.) |
Zubi Flyer - The World's First Interactive, Programmable Flying Toy! | Thomas Phipps (STS, Upland Terrace El. and West Kearns El.) |
Thank you to all who shared their ideas and expertise at the conference this year. We would also like to congratulate Chris Larsen, Director of Educational Technology, for being elected to a position on the UCET Board during the conference.
You must be logged in to post a comment.