Spotlight Post by Pam Moeai, Educational Technology Team Leader
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Stephanie Gonzalez, a 5th grade teacher at Academy Park Elementary, to hear more about her successful implementation of Student-Led Conferences for the September 2019 SEPs. [Read more…] about Teacher Spotlight: Stephanie Gonzalez, Academy Park Elementary
The Educational Technology Endorsement Program (ETEP) is an intensive 2-year professional development program provided to a select group of Granite teachers by the Granite Educational Technology department.
Registration for the 2019-2021 cohorts will open on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at 7:00 A.M. Follow the links in the infographic above to register and find more information, or visit our dedicated page for the Educational Technology Endorsement Program. If you have any questions about the program please contact Pam Moeai or Jenny Peirce in the Educational Technology department. [Read more…] about Registering Soon: Educational Technology Endorsement Program, 2019-2021
Elementary school principals and technology specialists from the Leadership in Blended and Digital Learning (LBDL) cohort were recently invited to visit Hunter Elementary School. In this site visit principals were able to step into several classrooms to see first-hand how Hunter Elementary 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. Many thanks to Kayla MacKay (principal), Kris Fox (school technology specialist), and the teachers and students featured below for allowing us into their school and classrooms. [Read more…] about Leadership in Blended and Digital Learning School Spotlight: Hunter Elementary
Spotlight Author: Pam Moeai, Educational Technology Specialist Team Leader
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.
— Helen Keller
Last week I had the opportunity to visit the Hilda B. Jones Center, and like the Grinch from the beloved Dr. Seuss story, I felt my heart grow in size that day as I met with the students and, in particular, one exceptional teacher.
What is the Jones Center? This GSD educational site provides a vocational training environment to give special education and at-risk students the opportunity to gain work-maturity, and specific job skills. One of the many wonderful and dedicated educators you may be able to find at the Jones Center is Jason Kerzner. [Read more…] about Teacher Spotlight: Jason Kerzner, The Hilda B. Jones Center
We congratulate the 2018 graduates of the Educational Technology Endorsement Program (ETEP) in Granite School District! [Read more…] about 2018 ETEP Graduates
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 and school 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) |
|---|---|
| Don't Be Afraid of Technology: How To Establish Successful Classroom Procedures | Melissa White (School Technology Specialist, Oakridge El. and Valley Crest El.) |
| Edpuzzle | Edna Habel (5th Grade Teacher, Western Hills El.) Ross Pope (School Technology Specialist, Arcadia El. and Whittier El.) |
| Engaging All Students with Classic Toys | Quinn Rollins (Social Studies Curriculum Specialist, Curriculum & Instruction Dept.) |
| Engage Students Like a Boss | Tricia Fenton (School Technology Specialist, Vista El. and Western Hills El.) Nicole Maycock (6th Grade Teacher, Plymouth El.) |
| Flipping out for Flipgrid! | Krystal Plott (School Technology Specialist, Wright El.) |
| HTML Programming on Chromebooks in the Elementary/Middle School Classroom | Andy Misco (School Technology Specialist, Eastwood El. and Twin Peaks El.) |
| Hyperdocs: Engage, Educate, and Inspire | Rebecca Baggett (School Technology Specialist, West Valley El.) Anastasia Limantzakis (School Technology Specialist, Crestview Elementary and Roosevelt Elementary) Tiffany Simons (School Technology Specialist, Driggs El. and Granger El.) |
| Learn and Play with Ozobots | Brandi Gollinger (School Technology Specialist, Armstrong Academy) Jayanne Unander (School Technology Specialist, Pleasant Green El.) |
| Makerspace: How to Build a Solar Greenhouse | Laurel Udy (Special Education Teacher, Hunter El.) |
| Meet KIBO in this Hands-on Session for Robotics for PreK-2nd Grades | Janeen Johnson (Kindergarten Teacher, South Kearns El.) Jennifer Millett (Kindergarten Teacher, South Kearns El.) |
| Micro:bit by Bit | Sherri Harris (School Technology Specialist, Wilson El.) Kathleen Riebe (School Technology Specialist, Fox Hills El. and Frost El.) |
| Micro:bit Coding | Sarah Eyring (School Technology Specialist, Granite Technical Institute) Samantha Mitchell (School Technology Specialist, Academy Park El. and Gourley El.) |
| Mixology: Structures and Strategies for Blended Learning | Pam Moeai (Specialist/Team Leader, Educational Technology Dept.) Jennifer Peirce (Specialist/Team Leader, Educational Technology Dept.) |
| Online Library Resources | Tricia Fenton (School Technology Specialist, Vista El. and Western Hills El.) |
| Raspberry Pi | John Smith (School Technology Specialist, Bacchus El. and Plymouth El.) |
| School News Production and Film Made Easy | Jen Johnson (3rd Grade Teacher, William Penn El.) |
| 3D Printing and Engineering Design in the Classroom | Dave Pendleton (4th Grade Teacher, Armstrong Academy) |
| Teacher Leadership in Utah: Utah Teacher Fellows | Deborah Gatrell (Social Studies Teacher, Hunter Sr. High) |
| UEN Canvas Modules for your class | Mikelle Gordon (1st Grade Teacher, Sandburg El.) |
We’ve been pleased to assist in hosting several author visits in our schools this month. We capture a few highlights from these visits in this post. [Read more…] about School Author Visits, March 2018
Breaking news! All Salt Lake City news reporters and anchors just may have their job security challenged due to some up and coming talent…hungry for reporting the news. That’s right! Truman News Network, or TNN, is currently taking up residence at Truman Elementary in Taylorsville. Student council members as well as guest reporters tell it like it is every week. Their well-received news cast is filled with information about the weather, sports, holidays, special events, book of the week, word of the day, staff and employee interviews, and the habit of the week. What is the habit of the week, you may ask? Well, on top of all the other awesome things going on at Truman Elementary, they are also a “Seven Habits of Happy Kids” school, wherein they review key ingredients of being successful in life!
TNN is organized by Tiffany Pontius, the School Technology Specialist for Truman Elementary. What could be an overwhelming and daunting task is smooth sailing due to Tiffany’s awesome organization and procedural planning. The best thing about this is that Tiffany prepares her students to be in charge of the news programs. This includes choosing the stories, writing the scripts, and deciding what props and backgrounds to use in place of the green screen when filming and editing. It is purely a situation of a student-led activity. No “sage on the stage” for Tiffany! 
She simply facilitates this well-oiled machine of news and information. She has used her skills as a top-notch educator to empower her 6th grade TNN members so that they gain confidence in running the news segments.
How do they do it? It all begins with a storyboard. Students choose what assignments they will have for the upcoming news cast during “staff meetings.” Reporters are then on the hunt for the news that will enlighten and inform the students. The student anchors create the script and film the leads. As soon as all of the elements are completed, one of the students edits the footage at home using WeVideo.
When asked the most challenging aspects of this project, the students replied, “…being able to film without laughing…getting everyone on the same page…and finding a time when all are able to meet.” What a terrific way to teach students how to collaborate in an authentic setting!
They also commented that the best thing about TNN is “…being on camera…writing the scripts…editing…hanging out with their friends…and working with Miss Pontius.” We would like to thank Tiffany for being a vital part of Granite School District. Her willingness to go the extra mile with her students and allow them to experience project-based learning, collaboration, problem solving, and creativity in the classroom should be celebrated.
Be sure to visit Truman TNN on YouTube!
Spotlight Created by Pam Moeai, Educational Technology Specialist and Team Leader.
What do the SAMR Model, Disneyland, and a dynamic School Technology Specialist all have in common? At first you may think that only two of these subjects are connected, but given the creative thinking of Amber Palmer, STS at Bennion Elementary, they create a beautiful symphony of thoughts and ideas that teachers at her school will enjoy all year long. [Read more…] about Teacher Spotlight: Amber Palmer, Bennion Elementary
This summer we say goodbye to many wonderful members of our team, but also welcome new faces into the Educational Technology department. [Read more…] about Educational Technology Dept. Welcomes and Farewells, 2017-18
