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Granite School District > Educational Technology > Blog > Professional Development Presentations

Professional Development Presentations

Featured Resource: Minecraft Education Edition

This post is adapted from a presentation given by Educational Technology team leaders Kacie O’Maley and Amber Palmer and school technology specialists Ashley Moore, Keith Reidford, and Melissa White.

Educators and students in Granite School District have access to Minecraft: Education Edition for classroom use, and it can now be used on Chromebooks! Read on to find out how to access Minecraft: Education Edition, as well as why and how to share it with your students.

[Read more…] about Featured Resource: Minecraft Education Edition

Presentation: Interactive Read Alouds, plus 100 Easy No-or-Low-Prep Ideas for Interactive Read Alouds

[This post was also shared at Granitemedia.org, our sister site for the school and district library programs in Granite School District: https://www.granitemedia.org/2021/03/presentation-interactive-read-alouds-plus-100-easy-no-or-low-prep-ideas-for-interactive-read-alouds/]

Marci Bishop, our District Elementary Library Specialist in Granite School District, recently shared this presentation on interactive read alouds at the UELMA 2021 conference for school librarians in Utah. Check out the slides, filled with resources and links, and watch a recording of the presentation below.

Presentation: Interactive Read Alouds

Interactive Read Alouds – Presentation by Marci Bishop – Slides
Interactive Read Alouds Presentation – Marci Bishop – Video

From the presentation description:

Kate DiCamillo calls the shared space and experience of a read aloud a “third place” and “a safe room” where participants make connections and build community. In addition to the “magic” of the moment, a read aloud is a great opportunity to teach. As a bonus, a well-planned or directed read aloud improves student focus and behavior too. In this session, we’ll explore:

-Simple, everyday ways to encourage interaction
-How to ask the “right” questions–one book can work for all grade levels!
-How to plan an interactive read aloud (examining the writer’s craft, making personal connections, etc.)
-Effective reading comprehension strategies and how to embed them into a read aloud

100 Easy No/Low-Prep Ideas for Interactive Read-Alouds

To go along with the presentation, Marci Bishop also created and shared this list of one hundred no-prep or low-prep ideas for interactive read alouds. Get them in this shared document, or read on below.

[Read more…] about Presentation: Interactive Read Alouds, plus 100 Easy No-or-Low-Prep Ideas for Interactive Read Alouds

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

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…] about Presentations: Google Classroom (Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced)

Presentation: Intro to Tech Tools – Basics

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…] about Presentation: Intro to Tech Tools – Basics

Presentation: Best Practices to Use During Distance Learning

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…] about Presentation: Best Practices to Use During Distance Learning

Granite Presentations at UCET 2019 & UELMA 2019

Earlier this month the Utah Coalition for Educational Technology (UCET) and the Utah Educational Library Media Association (UELMA) held their annual conferences. Many teachers, school technology specialists, and library media educational technology specialists from Granite presented at these conferences, and we collected links to their presentations in the table below.  [Read more…] about Granite Presentations at UCET 2019 & UELMA 2019

Presentation: Teaching with Picture Books in Secondary Schools

For some, the reading of picture books is considered an activity exclusively meant for young children in lower grades. In a recent professional development session for Library Media Educational Technology Specialists in secondary schools, Celia Powell, Cindy Moyle, and Cherie Anderson gave a multitude of reasons to rethink this bias, showing how picture books can be used in junior high and high school classrooms (and even with adults) to engage students and support curriculum in virtually all content areas.  [Read more…] about Presentation: Teaching with Picture Books in Secondary Schools

Granite Presentations at UCET 2018

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.

Granite UCET 2018 Presentations

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.)

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.

Photo from a BreakoutEDU session at UCET 2017 facilitated by Tricia Fenton and Sarah Robinson.

Photo from a BreakoutEDU session at UCET 2017 facilitated by Tricia Fenton and Sarah Robinson.

Granite Library Presentations at UELMA 2017

Last week the Utah Educational Library Media Association held their Spring conference at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City. Many of our library media educational technology specialists (LMETS) and media clerks attended the conference, and several presented sessions at the conference themselves. Here is a roster of the sessions shared by our specialists, along with links to resources from the sessions if available.

Session Title Presenter(s)
Book Repair -- Fixing Inner Hinges Brad Butcher (LMETS, Evergreen Jr. High)
BookTube Jessica Moody (LMETS, Olympus Jr. High)
Destiny Hacks Josh Whiting (Library Media Specialist, Educational Technology Dept.)
Effective Library Web Pages Keith Smedberg (LMETS, Olympus Sr. High)
Engage Your Students through Breakout EDU Games! Stephanie Hamilton (LMETS, Bennion Jr. High) and Davina Sauthoff (LMETS, Wasatch Jr. High)
Genre-fying Your Library Fiction Collection Lorraine Wyness (LMETS, Taylorsville Sr. High)
Hosting an Author Brad Butcher (LMETS, Evergreen Jr. High)
Hosting a Book Club Warren Child (LMETS, Cyprus Sr. High)
I Read. What's Your Superpower? Michelle Asay (LMETS, Granger Sr. High) and Heidi Williams (LMETS, Skyline Sr. High)
Is Your Library Engaging to Culturally Diverse Students? Toni Blattman (LMETS, Kearns Jr. High), Susan Booth (LMETS, Cottonwood Sr. High), and Marcia Ingram (LMETS, Eisenhower Jr. High)
Library Productivity Apps Angela Christensen (LMETS, Kennedy Jr. High)
Picture Books with Secondary Students Cindy Moyle (Granite District Secondary Libraries Supervisor) and Celia Powell (Granite District Secondary Educational Technology Specialist)
Twitter & Google + Jeff Curran (LMETS, Granite Park Jr. High)

In addition to the above sessions, Quinn Rollins, Granite’s Social Studies Curriculum Specialist, attended and gave an excellent presentation entitled “Beyond Batman: Graphic Novels as Serious Texts.”  Author Emily Wing Smith, a Taylorsville High School alumnus and occasional substitute teacher for Granite, gave the inspiring and relatable morning keynote address on her personal childhood experiences that led her to writing.

We really appreciate all of those from Granite School District who shared their time and expertise in these sessions. We further look forward to next week’s UCET 2017 conference, in which many of our elementary school technology specialists (STS) will present breakout sessions, as well as more of our LMETS.