Professional Development

Presentations: Google Classroom (Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced)

October 2020Josh Whiting

Looking for tips and tricks for using Google Classroom? These presentations, created by our school technology specialists, have suggestions to get you started and new things to try. These were first shared as part of the professional development menu for Granite teachers at the beginning of the school year.

Topics covered include:

Setting up your Classroom
Creating assignments
Organizational tips
Go Math & Wonders Integration
Google Integration with Calendar, Drive, Meet, and Quiz
Grades, Feedback, and Rubrics
Using Hyperdocs in Classroom
Creating a Grade Level Team Classroom

[Read more…]

Presentation: Intro to Tech Tools – Basics

October 2020Josh Whiting

Looking for easy technology tools for distance learning? This presentation, first shared as part of the professional development menu for Granite teachers at the beginning of the school year, introduces several great options and ideas for connecting with and engaging your students.

Tools covered include:

Screencastify
Loom
Nearpod
Quizizz
Google Meet
Whiteboard.fi
Flipgrid
Edpuzzle

[Read more…]

Featured Resource: Loom

October 2020Josh Whiting

This post originally appeared in our GSD Ed. Tech. Monthly Newsletter for Teachers created by Teresa Bruin, Educational Technology Team Leader. Note 10/14/2020: Loom pushed out a major software update just hours after this information was drafted and posted, so we will provide an update to these graphics and login information at some future time.

Loom is a simple screen recording and video messaging tool that can be used on Chromebooks, desktop computers, and iOS mobile devices. Granite staff and students now have access to the full professional features of Loom for Education.

[Read more…]

Elementary Library Book Walk 2020

October 2020Josh Whiting

This post first appeared on Granitemedia.org, the website for the district’s school library programs. Link: https://www.granitemedia.org/2020/10/elementary-library-book-walk-2020/.

We recently held the annual Elementary Library Book Walk!

[Read more…]

Presentation: Best Practices to Use During Distance Learning

October 2020Josh Whiting

Looking for tips and tricks for distance learning? These presentations, first shared as part of the professional development menu for Granite teachers at the beginning of the school year, have suggestions to get you started, as well as new things to try.

Topics covered include:

Asynchronous and synchronous learning activities
Setting student expectations
Developing strong connections
Organization and scheduling
Ideas for when you hit a roadblock

[Read more…]

Highlights and Resources from GSD Tech Meet, May 12, 2020

May 2020Josh Whiting

Celebrating Students

Granite teachers joined in a video and chat meet to share ideas and learn from one another in the final session of our Spring 2020 GSD Tech Meet series. This meet focused on ways to celebrate students and provide closure at the end of the year in a distance learning environment. Below we share a recording of the live meet, as well as ideas, links, and resources shared by participants in the session.

[Read more…]

Highlights and Resources from GSD Tech Meet, May 5, 2020

May 2020Josh Whiting

Student Choice

In our third GSD Tech Meet, held on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, Granite teachers joined up in a video and chat meet to share ideas and learn from one another. This week’s discussion focused on providing student choice and personalization during distance and face-to-face learning. Below we share a recording of the live meet, as well as ideas, links, and resources shared by participants in the session.

[Read more…]

Highlights and Resources from GSD Tech Meet, April 28, 2020

April 2020Josh Whiting

Ways to Increase Student Participation in Distance Learning

We held our second GSD Tech Meet on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, with more great discussions and sharing of ideas between Granite teachers. The discussion focused on techniques and ideas for increasing students’ engagement and participation in distance learning.

[Read more…]

Aaron Kammerman’s Video Ideas

April 2020Josh Whiting

Aaron Kammerman, School Technology Specialist at Hartvigsen School and The Jones Center, has been busy these last few weeks creating instructional videos for his teachers, as well as encouraging his teachers to make videos for their students. He recently compiled this inspiring list of ideas and reasons for teachers to make videos, and we are excited to share it with you!

Yesterday, I created a selfie video for my teachers, praising them for their efforts and encouraging them to reach out to me for continued support. In that video I made a passionate plea that they make MORE VIDEOS. I explained that kids are not missing out on the CONTENT as much as they are missing the CONTACT.

I followed up with this list of video ideas. My list of ideas is geared toward special ed students, but you get the idea. In case this is helpful, I pass it along to you!

[Read more…]

Highlights from the First GSD Tech Meet, April 21, 2020

April 2020Josh Whiting

Over 100 Granite educators joined us for our first GSD Tech Meet, a live virtual meeting for teachers held in Google Meet on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. The meet was facilitated by Kacie O’Maley, School Technology Specialist at Upland Terrace Elementary and an incoming Team Leader for our department next year. In this first session, Kacie introduced the meet as a collaborative space for teachers to connect and share with one another, putting forth discussion questions that encouraged participants to share successes, ideas, and solutions they have developed during the distance learning period.

[Read more…]