Made with Code

With the Winter Break quickly approaching, it’s time to Code the Holidays.  Google has created the website, https://www.madewithcode.com, where you can code the light sequence for a Christmas tree. After your code sequence meets your satisfaction, you can click the done button and submit your project to the Google website.  Okay, okay, now here’s the best part… Your light sequence will actually appear on a tree in the nation’s capital! You pick which tree, and Google will give you the date and time it will be displayed! 

If coding tree lights isn’t your thing, then try out some of the other project that Google’s Made with Code has to offer.  You can construct your own unique snowflake, create a 2D or 3D Avatar, or even build your own musical beats.

Made with Code has something for everyone. It's entertaining, educational, and anyone can do it! The website contains resources for other coding websites, as well links to at-
home projects. 

Enjoy your Winter Break, and don't forget to Code the Holidays!

2014 Ed Tech Endorsement Graduates

December brings white fluffy snow, crazy shoppers, multicolored lights as far as the eye can see, and a winter break to rejuvenate your technology soul. For eighteen Canyons school district teachers, December also brings a graduation ceremony. A ceremony celebrating completion of the full year Ed Tech Endorsement program. The ceremonies on December 16th celebrated the following teachers: Lori Anderson,  Karalee Birima, Anne Clyde, Ashley Fricker, Michelle Johnson, Cindy Krueger, Anthony Leavitt, Sandra Lecheminant, Karen Millenbach, Ed Mondragon, Lidia Ordaz, Kesha Prince, Ana Rodriguez, Doug Rolley, Meghan Schott, Lynn Smargis-Shumate, Alison Stroud, Eileen Struna, Marcus Voght, Susan Williams, Sarah Young.  Congratulations to all!

Wondering if you should participate in the Ed Tech Endorsement program? Eileen Struna shares the Top 10 Reasons you should consider the endorsement program.

The Education Technology Department is currently in the process of restructuring the Educational Technology Endorsement program.  As a result, a new cohort will not begin until August 2015.  Information about the new program will be available and distributed to teachers in April 2015.  Even though a cohort will not officially start until 2015,  a few classes will be offered through which participants may earn USOE or SUU credit, and the credits can be applied toward a future Educational Technology Endorsement. Registration is now open for the Digital Storytelling and Online Safety classes.  Register for classes online at http://training.canyonsdistrict.org. Class sizes are limited to 30 participants, and is first come, first served.  Click here for information.

I Learned So Much from the Hour of Code!

I wasn't going to post about this, but after seeing the reaction and watching the engagement from the students' discussions with each other, interactions, true cooperation, and thinking, I decided to change my blog post.

I was deeply inspired by what I witnessed this past week. These students are SMART. Smarter than I ever gave them credit for. I am excited about the promise that these kids bring!

Here is a video clip of one of the students during the Hour of Code  in a class this week. It was EXCITING!

One of the principals at one of my schools also participated. He yelled, "I'm awesome. I just want you to know that." Here he is.... Priceless.

Nearpod and Nearpod Homework=Powerful Blended Learning Opportunities

"Can we try ONE MORE PROBLEM, PLEASE??" This is what I heard from several students in a fifth grade class last week I was asked to teach a lesson about multiplying decimals. In our district we are using Pearson Envision Math and the day in which I would be teaching the lesson 7-4B I decided to use Nearpod to teach it rather than project my display and ask the students to take notes on what they are learning.  I used the school's iPad cart and each student opened the free Nearpod app. They entered the PIN for my lesson and we were ready to learn. Multiplying decimals by decimals and/or whole numbers can be an abstract mathematical concept for 5th grade, especially when the lesson called for the students to utilize models to represent their problems.

One of the reasons I volunteered for this particular lesson was that I wanted to experiment with combining some of my favorite tech tools. The lesson, shown below, utilizes Haiku Deck for the slides because it makes great looking slides. I used Doceri for the 0.3 minute whiteboard video demonstrations. Finally, Nearpod supplied the great interactive activities that engaged the students. It worked so well that the kids were enthusiastically asking for math to be taught this way from now on.

Our district in the process of purchasing a large scale subscription 3-year license for this amazing Nearpod service. This development has the potential to change the way teachers teach and student learn in the classroom. We have such great access to technology in this district, Nearpod is an exciting new way to implement positive classroom practices. In one lesson, using Nearpod, I was able to meet many of the instructional priorities our district has emphasized:

• Feedback
• Maximizing Opportunities to Respond
• Explicit Instruction
• Acquisition, Automaticity, the Application

In order to gain access to this district-wide license, we will be doing short trainings for elementary and secondary teachers to share with you the features and be sure that you have what you need to get started.  For more information, contact your Ed Tech or me (katherine.hill@canyonsdistrict.org).

This the Nearpod presentation I created and used for teaching the multiplying of decimals. Even though I presented this live to the students in class, it is posted here as a self-guided presentation via Nearpod Homework. Go through it yourself and let me know what you think. If you can't see this embedded presentation, you can click here.

Wanted: Student Filmmakers!

Do you know a student interested in film? How about a group of students interested in working with a local business? Besides being a great learning and leadership opportunity, filmmaking helps students develop communication and organizational skills through a hands-on, student lead project. 

This year for the 6th Annual Canyons District Film Festival we are encouraging more students to step into a leadership and film-production role by being partnered with a sponsoring business in the community to create an advertisement.

This is an exciting opportunity for students and businesses alike, so if you know of a company or small business in the area that would like to help sponsor the 2015 Canyons District Film Festival, please connect them with your Ed Tech as soon as possible! Student and business intent to participate forms must be turned in by 5pm on December 4, 2014 so that interested businesses and students can be partnered to start creating those fantastic advertisements! 

Even if you can't participate, don't miss out on the chance to see these and other student-created films make their Film Festival debut on April 16, 2015! 

For more information about filmmaking in the classroom and the Canyons District Festival, visit our Professional Learning page. 

Hour of Code

"Hour of Code" is coming up! It is a great opportunity to give kids of all ages an introduction to code. "Code" is a scary word for many (me included), but after looking at the website for the "Hour of Code" I think it is intriguing!

Check out the website: http://hourofcode.com/

It has great ideas for every level of skill, and every age learner; from 4 to 104! The website has several videos to get students (and teachers) excited. There are 1 minute, 5 minute, and 9 minute videos starring some well known coders, and some well know non-coders who are coding for the first time.

The "Hour of Code" will take place December 8-14, and the plan is to get as many people coding that week as possible. The goal is that tens of millions of people in over 180 countries will code for 1 hour that week.

You can participate in "Hour of Code" as an individual learner, as a teacher with your class, or facilitate the whole school. There are activities all set up to go and available online for computers, devices, and there are even ideas for classrooms without internet access. You can do the activities on one to one devices, pairs, or small groups. The activities are very flexible, and they have ideas for all!

Check out the "Hour of Code" website and start planning! Your Ed Tech will help you. Engagement, Engagement, Engagement! Students will love it and learn to code while they play.

Paper Slides

Looking for a low-tech, creative way for students to present information without having to stand in front of the class? Check out Paper Slides. Paper Slides is a technique that uses paper, markers, and students' creativity!  The slides are made then filmed ONCE without editing (practice is crucial), and can be uploaded to YouTube and shared on Canvas. Paper Slides can be used as an individual or group project on any subject! Make sure to give the students guidelines (# of slides, time frame to create, filming limit, etc). Watch the video to learn more about Paper Slides.  For more guidelines and a storyboard template, check out this website. 

Power in Social Media

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a couple of different customer service experiences that I had that reminded me about what our customers (students, teachers, principals) should expect and deserve from us as EdTechs.

I want to follow up on that just a little to share another lesson learned from that experience. In the second example I talked about a company that I thought was not giving me unsatisfactory customer service. I worked with customer service representatives for two days and felt their solutions were not in my best interests. I ended up telling them that I would send back the product and they could just refund my money including shipping costs I had paid. After 12 hours I still had no response to even that request.

At this point I had enough dealing with them in that way. So I took to social media to express my frustrations. I sent out a simple tweet including the company's twitter handle. It expressed my frustrations and that I would no longer be giving them my business or recommending them to others.

Within 5 minutes the person manning the twitter account of the company reached out to me and asked what was wrong. Within another 10 minutes she had resolved my issue in an extremely satisfactory way. It completely turned me around on the company again.

Now the more cynical may say, well it was a case of the squeaky wheel getting greased. Perhaps it was. But the social media person at least reached out to me quickly and acted decisively on behalf of her company. Sure they don't want that kind of negative publicity out there for others to see, but they really could have soothed me with about half of what they did. This person went the extra mile to make sure that I returned to the fold, so to speak.

Now the moral of the story might seem to be that if you want to reach a company for customer satisfaction hit them in their social media account first. I really reached out in that forum mainly to let others know that I felt their treatment of me as a customer at that point was so lacking that I was willing to withhold any further business from them. However, because of their social media presence they were able to turn the situation completely around.

They went from letting me tell their story in a negative way, to getting them to tell it in a positive way. That is what it should be like for our schools, use the power of social media to tell our own stories and get others to tell them in a positive light because of the service we can provide to our customers.

Want to Teach Programming or Coding? Try One of These....

Want to teach computer programming and coding in your classroom? Do you know where to start?  Do you even know anything about computer programming and coding? I have discovered that many teachers, like me, love the idea of teaching computer programming and coding but have absolutely no clue where to begin. Let's also not forget about the comfort factor.  It can be incredibly uncomfortable and scary to teach something to a room full of students that is unfamiliar and intimidating. One thing that I have come to appreciate and love about education is that there is always someone willing to do the dirty work, and then share EVERYTHING they have created.

I want to tell you about Google CS First, SPRK and Livecode.  Three programs I have had the opportunity to interact with and as a result have finally found some great starting points for introducing computer programming and coding to my students.  

Google CS First

CS First was developed by Google and focuses on increasing student access and exposure to Computer Science (CS) Education.  This program has been developed to capture the interest of students with various likes and interests. The wonderful thing about this program is that the curriculum (aka Club Plans) and materials have already been developed, created and are ready for implementation.  The CS First club plans target students in grades 4 – 8.

Scratch Game Design, Scratch Music and Sound, and Scratch Storytelling are three club plans that have been fully developed and ready for implementation.  Word on the street is that by the end of the 2014 - 2015 school year there could be an additional six club plans added.  The CS First program is something that you hold before or after school, during the summer, or as part of your regular computer lab time.  Google will even help you find volunteers (that they call gurus) in your community to come in to help and/or teach the CS First program.

To get started with the CS First program, go to the CS First website and sign in with Google account.  The first time you sign in you will be asked to identify your role and location.  You can then create a club, choose a theme, and set the specifics for your club. Everything you will need to make this program successful is outlined, and for the most part provided for you by Google.

Check out this example of a video game created by a student who participated in the CS First program.

SPRK (Schools Parents Robots Kids)

SPRK was created because the developers of this program believe that play is powerful.  To participate in this program all you need is a sphero.  A sphero is a small white ball that can be be programmed to perform specific tasks.  SPRK lessons have already been developed and are ready to be downloaded and used. The lessons are detailed enough that anyone can either teach the lesson or learn on their own.  In addition to the SPRK lessons, there are also SPRK challenges.  These challenges are designed to get students solving complex problems and working as a member of a team.  Students will have the opportunity to create, share, and discuss concepts learned.SPRK lessons tie to different common core math standards for 4th and 5th grade. Such as:

• Percentages - mixing colors at different levels to change the color the sphero glows.
• Simple Geometry and Angles - make the sphero drive a square, pentagon, or rectangle to recreate learned shapes.
• Fractions – provide a specific fraction and have the students calculate how to adjust the sphero to get the exact color.
• Math operations – command the sphero to drive in a square, then use a multiplier or divisor to double or halve the square size.
• Logic – command the sphero to preform a sequence of steps to navigate a course.

            To get started with the SPRK program first you will need to order a sphero. (Be sure to ask about educational pricing!)  Once you have received the sphero, download the apps MacroLab and orbBasic to an android or an iOS device, and download the SPRK lessons.

          Livecode

          

       Livecode is a program that you can use with those students (and maybe even yourself) that are already somewhat familiar with programming and coding and are ready to create an app for multiple platforms. The best part of Livecode is you code the way you think.  Livecode uses everyday words in it's coding and not symbols like the Xcode and C++.  The Community Edition of Livecode is a free download and a great option when you are just learning and starting to create apps. When you get to a point where you would like to distribute your app, Livecode allows you to upgrade to the Commerical Edition. Livecode provides different training options listed here. 
     Check out the app Science with Tom - Matter.  It's an app developed by a coding novice and created in Livecode. 

Striving for the Best Customer Service

creative commons licensed (BY-NC-SA) flickr photo by
monstro: http://flickr.com/photos/monstro/424289664

As an EdTech team, our priority goal is to provide our schools with the best customer support possible. This week I have had two experiences with customer support with a couple of vendors that I have supported with personal purchases. These two vendors illustrate the point I hope to make here.

Vendor 1 is a small operation, but produces some products that I have found very beneficial to my work and productivity at work. A piece of a device that I purchased from them has gone bad. I purchased this device almost 3 years ago. It was really just that the part had become loose, it did impact the use of the device slightly, but didn't make it unusable. I contacted the vendor just to see if there was a way I could tighten the part to make it better.

This vendor got back to me within 20 minutes to let me know he was sorry that there was a problem. He then asked for my contact information and informed me that he would ship out a new part immediately. I sent him my info and 5 minutes later had a shipment confirmation with tracking number for the new part. The vendor didn't ask me to send back the old part, he didn't question what had happened. He just knew that this was a problem for me and he took care of it. This small company has a customer for life and I will recommend their products to anyone.

Vendor 2 is a pretty large company. I have personally spent a lot of money with this company and have directed a lot of others to it as a great vendor. In using them for the past 5 years I have really not had any problems. A couple of months ago I was looking for a new travel bag. I use this bag on a daily basis to haul all my gear. (Yes, I keep a lot of gear with me at all times, I know!) I searched the web for what I thought was the perfect bag for me. I found it at this company.

I have used the bag for about 6 weeks. It came with a limited lifetime warranty, which is one of the reasons I bought it. Yesterday as I wheeled the bag into the office and tried to put the handle down, the handle buckled at a joint. I straightened the handle out and put it away but when I pulled it back out to check it the handle separated from the bag on one side. Not disastrous except for the fact that I am leaving for a trip in 8 days and really need the handle functioning.

I immediately went to the company website and requested an RMA with the explanation that I needed the replacement within a week. I waited all day for a response for the company. Strike 1! The response finally came and their solution to take care of my problem was to purchase a new bag, then return the current bag for a refund. Strike 2! So to take care of a warranted problem to get what I need in a timely manner, I get to make a new purchase, pay shipping (again) for that purchase then pay to return the defective merchandise. I almost somewhat politely responded that I was not satisfied with this solution. Now nearly 18 hours later I still have not heard back from the company. Strike 3! Are they out, I am not sure yet, I love this bag, but their lack of a timely response to a problem has me very turned off at this point.

So what does this have to do with Educational Technology. As EdTechs in Canyons School District, as I started this piece with, our priority is to provide the best customer service possible. Do we succeed all of the time, probably not. The second company I mentioned, this may be the case with them. Maybe my problem is the 1 in 100 where they dropped the ball. However, we will always try to provide our customers, the students, teachers, and staff of Canyons School District with the best customer service possible.

If you feel this is not happening for you please let us know.  We will work as hard as the first company I talked about to make things right for you. We love our customers and are so appreciative of the work we get to do with you and for you.

Thinglink for Education

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so how much would an interactive picture be worth? Thinglink gives you the opportunity to find out.  Thinglink is an amazing tool that allows you the ability to easily create and share interactive images. You can add hotlinks from your images to text, video, websites, presentations, etc. making your images come alive!

Check out this Thinglink example created about the Boston Massacre.  It was easily created by logging in, uploading an image, and then clicking on the image to add the hotlinks. The Thinglink was saved and added to the gallery for public viewing.

Besides being so easy to use, the best part about Thinglink is that it is free.  Teachers can create their accounts using Thinglink for Education, and then create student accounts.  Students accounts can be created with or without a student email address, so it is a great tool for both elementary and secondary classrooms. 

Thinglink is fun, engaging, simple, and it is just one of those tools that can enhance any classroom.

Tech Club at Quail Hollow Elementary

Tech Club is up and running at Quail Hollow Elementary.  With the help of fifth grade teacher, Nic Heinz, 29 students in fourth and fifth grade have been introduced to the world of coding.  Students began the 8-week club doing a hands on activity that required the students to create a code, instructing other students to stack plastic cups in a desired way.  This activity, My Robotic Friends, helped the students understand the importance of clear direction and will be beneficial when they begin computer-based coding. The next activity brought the hands on experience to paper.  Graph Paper Programming also prepared the students for coding and really challenged the students to carefully direct one another to a desired destination.  Both activities were provided by TinkerSmith. We are excited to start the computer based coding using code.org: Hour of Code and K-5 Computer Science. Each week, we will guide the students though the lessons and encourage them to continue on in the wonderful world of coding!

Huh? Back Up my Computer?

Over the summer, one of the coaches at my schools had her data lost when her computer was getting upgraded.  I knew she was fine because we had already talked about drop box, csddocs, and she had her own hard drive.  So I asked the question, "Did you back up your computer?"  I was flabbergasted when she hesitantly said, "No."  Where did I go wrong? How did I fail her as her Ed. Tech. We talked about all of the tools.  I had shown her how to use them.  Her comment.  "I just never had the time to sit down and back up my computer."  

First, I am going to give you the rationale on why it is important to back up your computer, or files. Then I am going to give you a few ideas on how you can back up those files, or documents, and still have them if your data is ever lost on your computer. 

Rationale:   Lost files are not always recoverable.  You can rest knowing that if your files are backed up, you still have access to what you need or have created, especially pictures. What if your laptop is left behind at a meeting or PD you just attended and then you went to get it and it was gone? What if your laptop or desktop was stolen? This would not be an easy task replacing personal or district devices, but at least those files that are lost, can be quickly recovered from your backup.  What about power failure that completely fried your motherboard to your computer? Destroyed files are often hard to recover when this happens to your computer.  Don't forget the mistakes that we as humans can make any day of the week!  Remember that Diet Coke that tasted so good and then after setting it down by your computer, a student accidentally bumps it and you see "pop" fall in s-l-o-w m-o-t-i-o-n into your laptop.  Aren't your files backed up?  What about when from nowhere you have a virus infecting your computer? I can think of many other reasons of why you would need to have your files backed up.

How do I back up my computer?
There are several ways you can back up your files.  There are internet services called cloud storage, which allows you to store selected files on the internet and online backup, that allows you to store (backup) your whole computer.  I want to keep this list simple so you see what kind of choices are out there for you.

• External Hard Drive:  The Lacie 1 TB Rugged Thunderbolt & USB 3.0 Hard Drive (9000488) is one that one recommend for teachers.  There is plenty of space to store files and portable to carry around.  There are other hard drives out there that are cheaper and would serve the purpose.  Just make sure enough memory is on it that it will hold what you want to back up.   

• USB Flash Drive (aka Thumb Drive)  This is a data storage device that contains a USB interface.  Flash Drives are often used for storage, transferring files, and back-up.  They are small, fast, and very durable.  Some of the more popular brands include SanDisk, Kingston, and Lexar.  These can be purchased as 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB. Prices range from $4.99-$150.00.  It really depends on where you purchase them and if you find them on sale or not.    

• Drop Box  (aka cloud storage)  Cloud storage offers a way to have access to your files whenever and wherever you may be.  Anything dropped in Dropbox will appear on all of your devices, apps making that happen,  including the website.  It is easy to share links, photos, documents, and videos with others.  Basic accounts begin with 2 GB of free space.  If you invite friends and they accept the invitation, you can earn 16 GB of additional free space.   Dropbox also offers a Dropbox Basic Plus account which is $9.99 a month and gives you 1 TB of space and there is a Dropbox Pro plus that is offered for businesses.        

It is best to back up your data at least once a month, if not more. The following are links about ways to back up your data. 

The Best 10 Online Backup
Top 5 Ways to Back Up Your Files on Your Computer
What is the Best Way to Back Up Data?

PJ Giles

What's New with the New Google Drive?

Google Drive just recently got a facelift!
And some of the changes just might take you by surprise.  

If you're used to looking for documents and files in the "Shared with Me" folder, or making new items using the red "Create" button, then you're in for a rude awakening because they're gone!

Although the "Create" button is no longer at the ready for you to make new documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and forms, there is a new and easier way to build these files.   Click the "My Drive" drop down button and you'll see all your shortcuts are still there, just updated with cleaner pictures.

 

And when you want to find something that was shared with you be aware that the new name for these items are "Incoming".

  

Getting used to a new interface can be difficult.  If it's impeding your work or just too uncomfortable you can switch back to the "Old Drive" at anytime.  To do this click on the settings wheel in the upper right hand corner and choose "Leave the new Drive".

Switching back to the new Drive is just as easy.  Click the settings wheel in the upper right hand corner of your screen in the old Google Drive and select "Experience the new Drive"

If you are currently using the Google Drive app on an iPad you may find that the new Drive has a very similar appearance and might fit your visual preferences better than the old Google Drive interface. Folders and documents are displayed now in rectangular boxes with quick previews and other info.  In fact, all of the changes made to the online version of Google Drive were made to help insure that users of the mobile apps find the experience to be seamless.

Downloading Google Drive for your iPad is also pretty easy, go to Google Drive Tools and pick the device you're using.  On iPads you'll also need to download the free Google Docs and Google Spreadsheets apps to edit any of those Google Drive made files.

Note to CSD Docs users! - Our school domain for Google Drive is set up with a security system that may not work too well with the Mac and Windows Desktop apps for Google Drive.  Please use the standard log in at http://csddocs.org when you want to use Google Drive on your Mac or PC.

For more helpful tips on using the new Google Drive check out the Google Drive Help Website.

Once you get there be sure to watch this short intro video about the new Google Drive Experience.

SuccessNet as a Parent Connection Tool!

There are 2 great tools in SuccessNet that will help facilitate better collaboration and communication between teachers and parents.

There is a setting that will put a digital copy of your Reading Street and enVision student textbooks in the student accounts. It is not the links to the digital lessons, but a pdf of the textbook. To show the link to digital textbooks in the student account, log into your grade level account. Then click on the arrow at the top of the page just to the right of an icon of a person and select “my account.

The next page has 2 columns; the right column shows “My Products”; just click on “Manage Products” at the bottom. The next page shows all the available products, in rows of Reading Street and envision, with small check boxes in the left column of products available to display. Select the products you want displayed, making sure from the middle column that you are selecting “student edition textbook”. After you have selected the products you would like displayed in the student accounts, click on “Add selected products to your class/group” at the top left of the page. On the next page you can select your class to assign the digital copy to, and can even just select specific students of you would like.

Here is what the student login would look like if you have done this process. Notice digital links at the bottom of the page:

Another way to increase parent communication would be to share with parents the “Parents” link at the top of the home page of the student account (see above). The parent link will let parents see their child’s lesson and test progress, see below.