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Re: Inside the School Where Every Student Gets Their Own Teacher

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-09-16-inside-the-school-where-every-student-gets-their-own-teacher Olivia is currently enrolled part-time in one of the most unique high school models in the country. Where many schools struggle with ever-expanding student-teacher ratios, Futures Academy, a California network of private schools serving middle- and high schoolers, follows a distinctly personalized model: Every class in every subject has one teacher and only one student. The model takes an eyebrow-raising twist on one-to-one instruction, which in many education circles has come to refer to one computer for every student. This sounds like a discussion I have had many times with other educators when talking about school models and how to improve schools. "What if every student had their own teacher?" It is an intriguing idea that, on the surface, sounds like the ideal learning environment. However, most times I have discussed this, the conversation usually ends up saying t...
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Lockdown Google Forms Quizzes #edtech #gsuite #gsfe

Earlier this year, Google rolled out the "LOCKDOWN" feature on Google Quizzes. According to Google, this feature will block students from being able to open new tabs, thus preventing them from cheating. https://techycoach.com/2019/01/24/google-forms-lockdown-mode/ I do find this tool useful for those that use this type of assessment. However, one question I would ask, Is this type of assessment the best way to assess what students have learned. I find myself moving away from question and answer based assessments and moving toward project based assessments. This philosophy is summed up by saying that I am moving away from having students tell me what they learned to having students show me what they learned, putting the skills to actual use. Though I still see where the old style Q&A assessments can be valid, I am not sure that I would utilize this function often. I would encourage those using technology for assessments to think how to transform their instruct...

How Tech can Improve Physical Safety in Schools

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2019/09/how-technology-can-improve-physical-safety-schools There are many elements of making schools safe physically for students. However, this article identifies some of the key technologies that can greatly improve school safety. It is comforting to know that many schools that I have visited, including my own, use many of these technologies.

How Tech Can Improve Digital Citizenship in K-12 #edtech

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2019/09/how-technology-can-improve-digital-citizenship-k-12-perfcon This is a good article with a lot of resources for teaching Digital Citizenship in the classroom. One philosophy I endorse is to integrate Digital Citizenship into class lessons, not teaching these skills as a lesson in itself. Students learn better with a purpose. For example, students are told to demonstrate digital citizenship in an online discussion forum related to subject matter taught in the class. If you haven't yet checked out Google's "Be Internet Awesome" I would highly recommend it. https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en_us/resources This is a great resource to help guide students and staff to not only promote digital citizenship, but get everyone on the same page with terminology and meanings. It is a great way to get parents involved as well.

6 Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2019 #edtech

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/ed-tech-tools-2019/ This is an old post, but one I keep coming back to for new tools to try in the classroom. The Google Tour creator can also be adapted to work on chromebooks. That is one I have wanted to try out for a while as it will put students in the location being talked about. It also encourages self-exploration, allowing students to find things that are meaningful to them. GeoGuesser is another tool I could see being a great help to the classroom. I know some people who do this for fun in their spare time.

Google Docs: More like Word Everyday - Section Breaks #edtech #gsuite #gsfe

Now you can add section headers to your Google Docs. This feature has been in MS Word for quite some time, but it was not built in to Google Docs, until now. This should be available to everyone by the time school starts back up in August. :) More Info https://gsuiteupdates.googleblog.com/2019/07/more-header-footer-options-docs.html

Putting the T in STEM #edtech

http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2019/04/16/tech4children/ One of the best things about teaching very young learners is that they are super excited to learn! They also love technology, but we must ensure that children learn early on balance and digital safety. When a child begins to use technology, especially technology connected to the Internet, they must also learn how to protect themselves and learn wellness...