Learn Lead Grow

Do you give your students options for showcasing their understanding? We know from brain research that the way we learn is as different as our DNA; therefore, providing options for demonstrating understanding is critical in the learning process. SeeSaw is a free digital portfolio too to give students the ability to express their knowledge in different ways through written text, drawings, images, video and web links. What I Like There are several things that I like about SeeSaw: It is easy to use and makes it the perfect tool for elementary classrooms. Students can annotate, record, and capture images directly in the App. SeeSaw is available on multiple platforms, which makes it perfect for any school environment.  Teachers have control over what is posted, including student and parent comments. Teachers can give access to parents to see their child's work. Recently, my son's teacher gave me access to his SeeSaw account. I am able to hear him read stories and

Each one of us makes daily decisions that impact the lives of others. How often do you take the time to have students and colleagues vote or share a voice in how decisions are made? Although this can be time consuming,  Dotstorming is a tool, much like Padlet, where participants can add ideas, share opinions, and vote through dots.  Step 1: Create Your First Dotstorming Board First, you will need to create your first Dotstorming topic by providing the title of the topic, a description, how many votes (or dots used to cast votes) you would like each person to have, and how do you want to share your board (via a link or email).  Step 2: Share Your Topic Next, you will want to share your Dotstorming topic with others through a link or via email. As with other collaborative sties, participants do not have to have an account to participate.  Step 3: Add Your Ideas Then, you will want to add your ideas in the form of text, images, and videos. There are tons of was

What if you had access to thousands of free and engaging digital resources that are aligned to academic standards? What if you had access to tools to make your job easier? What if you had access to tools that provide students with engaging and customized learning experiences? You and your students can with resources from  PBS LearningMedia . Here are three reasons why you should be using PBS LearningMedia: Access to over 100,000 videos, images, interactives, and lesson plans  for every grade level and subject area. Resources are aligned to national and Common Core academic standards. Tools to make your job easier!  PBS LearningMedia provides tools to increase your productivity, such as Lesson Builder, Storyboard and Quiz Maker. Teachers can create customized and self-paced lessons for students to effectively learn content. Students can use the Storyboard to demonstrate their understanding of a concept in their own way. Each resource can help you create customized and effective l

Can you believe that it is September already? It's the time of year for fresh starts, new school supplies, and exciting opportunities to try something new. Why not start the year off with a new tool to engage parents? Google Photos: Much More Than a Backup Tool If you are a Google Apps for Education School, then you know that Google Photos is the perfect place to store your classroom photos, but did you know that it also offers you several powerful creation tools? Here are three easy ways to engage parents (and students) with this powerful tool: 1. Create a Shared Photo Album Parents love to see pictures of their children in action because it gives them a glimpse of what they are learning, how they interact with their peers, and how they engage with learning. Many of us have mobile devices and tablets in our hands, so why not use them to capture everyday moments and store them in a shared album? Parents can view albums without needing a Google account because it can be sh