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Professional Development

From Granite Media: Best Books of 2018

Update 1/29/2019: ALA Youth Media Award Winners Added

On Granitemedia.org, our sister site where we focus on library resources and book reviews written by Granite students and staff, we are collecting links to lists of the “Best Books of 2018” and award winners. These lists come from professional library publications, teacher organizations, and general news organizations. We even have a few Granite-specific lists. School library staff use them to find more great books to add to library collections and recommend to students. You can check out the collection of lists as it currently stands below, but we will continue to update the post at http://bestbooks.edtech.fun throughout the season as more awards are announced or come to our attention. No matter your interests or focus you’re sure to find some new books for your “to-read” list.

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Featured Resources: Student Podcasting

Post Author: Teresa Bruin, Educational Technology Specialist and Team Leader. Originally appeared in our Ed. Tech. Monthly Newsletter for Teachers.

NPR Student Podcast Challenge

NPR is currently hosting a student podcast challenge.  Teachers of students from grades 5-12 can submit student-created podcasts until March 31, 2019. Two teachers of student groups will win the opportunity to have NPR and/or station reporters come to their school to meet and interview them and their student(s) and have the winning podcast discussed in a news segment that will appear on an episode of NPR’s All Things Considered or Morning Edition.

How To Enter The NPR Student Podcast Challenge

NPR Student Podcast Challenge: Official Rules

Submit To The NPR Student Podcast Challenge Here

Starting Your Podcast: A Guide For Students

Teaching Podcasting: A Curriculum Guide for Educators

Using Synth For Student Podcasting and More

Synth is a simple podcasting tool that can be used to create short podcasts of about 4 1/2 minutes using audio or video.

Bring more people into the conversation. Others can add on their own short podcasts to an original conversation starter. There are lots of ways to use podcasting with students. Use it for interviewing, global collaboration, creating your own audio story, practicing a foreign language, and so much more. Here is a list of 50 ideas for using podcasting with students to get started.

Podcasts and Podcasting — Additional Resources

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Now Registering: Hyperdocs (Ed Tech Pick Five Session)

January 15, 2018 – HyperDocs

Making the shift to 21st century teaching just got a whole lot easier with HyperDocs! On the outside a HyperDoc looks like just a colorful Google doc with links, but when you dig in deeper you’ll find a research-based digital lesson with interactive elements tailored to each student.

In this session, you’ll experience a HyperDoc just as your students would, learn what HyperDocs are (and aren’t), and examine the pedagogy behind HyperDocs and best practices for creating and using HyperDocs with your students. You will also have time to find existing HyperDocs you can adapt to meet your needs and begin to create your own from a template or from scratch.

Session location: Technology Learning Center (5300 W Cherrywood Lane, West Valley City, UT)

Time: 4:30 – 7:30 PM

Click here to register for this session.

Pick Five – GSD Ed. Tech. Tuesdays

3rd Tuesday of each month – 4:30-7:30 P.M.

All Granite educators looking to add to or improve their use of technology in the classroom are invited to attend any of our Pick Five sessions. Topics will be announced in our Ed Tech Newsletter each month.

All are welcome to sign up to attend any of the sessions. Relicensure points are available. Attend at least 5 of the sessions and complete a portfolio assignment to receive 1 USBE credit.

Upcoming Sessions:

Visit https://sites.google.com/granitesd.org/gsdedtechtuesdays/pick-five?authuser=0 for more information and to register for any of these upcoming sessions.

Featured Resource: Puzzle Hunts

Post Author: Celia Powell, Educational Technology Specialist and Team Leader

Teachers have embraced the breakout boxes both physical and digital in recent years to help students solve problems, think critically, and develop engagement in the classroom. Alex Rosenthal and his colleagues have taken the principles of a breakout box several steps further in their annual puzzle solves. Check it out for long-term projects and challenges for students.

Additional Links

Leadership in Blended and Digital Learning School Spotlight: Magna Elementary

Last week Magna Elementary hosted a site visit for the Leadership in Blended and Digital Learning cohort of elementary school principals and technology specialists. During this site visit principals were able to step into several classrooms to see first-hand how teachers are transforming their classrooms using blended and digital learning strategies. In addition to taking what they saw back to their own schools, some participants shared snapshots with us via social media posts that we will share below.

[Read more…] about Leadership in Blended and Digital Learning School Spotlight: Magna Elementary

Now Registering: Google Apps, Extensions, and Add-Ons (Ed Tech Pick Five Session)

December 18, 2018 – Google Apps, Extensions, and Add-Ons

Learn how you can make your use of Google and Chromebooks more efficient by using Google Apps, Extensions, and Add-Ons. We’ll share several of our favorites and provide you with time to find some of your own.

Session location: Technology Learning Center (5300 W Cherrywood Lane, West Valley City, UT)

Time: 4:30 – 7:30 PM

Click here to register for this session.

Pick Five – GSD Ed. Tech. Tuesdays

3rd Tuesday of each month – 4:30-7:30 P.M.

All Granite educators looking to add to or improve their use of technology in the classroom are invited to attend any of our Pick Five sessions. Topics will be announced in our Ed Tech Newsletter each month.

All are welcome to sign up to attend any of the sessions. Relicensure points are available. Attend at least 5 of the sessions and complete a portfolio assignment to receive 1 USBE credit.

Upcoming Sessions:

Visit https://sites.google.com/granitesd.org/gsdedtechtuesdays/pick-five?authuser=0 for more information and to register for any of these upcoming sessions.

Hour of Code and Computer Science Education Week, 2018

Computer Science Education Week is December 3-9, 2018. Many schools, educators, and students participate in an Hour of Code during Computer Science Education Week.

If you host a coding activity please share it with us! You can leave a comment below or share pictures via social media including Twitter or Instagram, using the hashtags #gsdedtech and #HourOfCode. We will collect all the shared social media posts in this Wakelet collection.

Read on for more information and links to resources and activities for Hour of Code and Computer Science Education Week. [Read more…] about Hour of Code and Computer Science Education Week, 2018

Leadership in Blended and Digital Learning School Spotlight: Lake Ridge Elementary

Elementary school principals and technology specialists from the Leadership in Blended and Digital Learning (LBDL) cohort recently visited Lake Ridge Elementary in Magna.  In this site visit principals were able to step into several classrooms to see first-hand how teachers at Lake Ridge are transforming their classrooms using blended and digital learning strategies. In addition to taking what they saw back to their own schools, some participants shared snapshots with us via social media posts that we will share below. Thanks to Karly Chavez (principal), Keith Reidford (school technology specialist),  and the teachers and students featured below for allowing us into their classrooms.  [Read more…] about Leadership in Blended and Digital Learning School Spotlight: Lake Ridge Elementary