Learn Lead Grow

Managing student devices is always a challenge; however, with the right tools and strategies, you can proactively address student use and misuse of devices. In my experience, I have found effective classroom management begins with keeping it "REAL" with technology: 1. Routines - establishing routines for student use of technology, workflow, etc. 2. Expectations - clear, consistent, and realistic expectations. 3. Accountability - realistic and appropriate consequences for student misuse. 4. Learning Opportunities - provide students with a safe environment to learn from their mistakes and make adjustments. Over the next few posts, I will concentrate on providing you strategies for proactively addressing student use of technology. Today I want to concentrate on tools for keeping students accountable with iPads : Tip # 1 - Screens Bright and In Sight I usually have a rule for students to have bright screens (50% or higher). Dark screens often lead to trouble;

Getting started is one of the biggest challenges for educators who want to utilize new technologies. A lack of confidence or understanding often paralyzes the good intentions that we all have. Flipgrid has provided some amazing resources for educators to get started in minutes, rather than days! Here are three resources to get you started: 1.  Educator Innovation Station The Educator Innovation Station is your one-stop shop for learning how to use Flipgrid, how to use Flipgrid with Docs, and learn best practices for using the tool in your classroom. The Innovation Station is a great place for you to connect with other like-minded educators, who want to use this tool to the best of their ability. You can also find out how to become Flipgrid Certified and how to connect with Flipgrid on social media! 2. Disco Library The Disco Library is an excellent place to see examples of Flipgrid in action. Search for topics by grade level, subject area, and topic goals. Do you like one

Flipgrid is quickly becoming one of my favorite tools because it is a powerful video discussion tool, which can be used across platforms. This is ideal for the 1:1 or shared device classroom. For an in-depth look at Flipgrid, check out my previous post .  Book Cover Predictions: Today, I worked with a teacher who used Flipgrid in a unique way! To begin their latest group book in class, the teacher decided to have students predict what they thought that the book would be about. She created a Flipgrid discussion, where students would look at the book cover, make their prediction, and describe their prediction on Flipgrid in 30 seconds or less. Organizing your thoughts and describing them in a succinct way is a valuable skill that many students struggle with. Flipgrid provides students with an excellent venue to try this!  Once students responded with their prediction, they were encouraged to look at 3 other classmates' posts. After they viewed each post, they we

Clips is quickly becoming one of my favorite iOS Apps. If you have not used Clips before, please feel free to check out my tutorial . Here are three ways you may want to consider using this App: 1. Share New Year's Resolutions  I was working in a first-grade classroom this morning, where we used Clips as a tool for students to reflect on a book they read about New Year's Resolutions. Students used the camera on their iPad to take a picture of the book cover, a New Year's selfie, and a picture of a writing piece that they wrote. Students recorded a summary of the book and read their writing piece, which described their New Year's Resolution for the school year. Once we were finished, we published the video to SeeSaw. 2. Set Goals  Why not use Clips as a way for students to develop a SMART Goal for the classroom? Remember that SMART Goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. Have students use the tool to reflect on their progress periodic

Many teachers turn to ambient noise, classical music, or meditation music to help students with concentration and relaxation, which may be effective for some students and not so effective for others. A Customized Concentration Solution Whether you want to provide a one-size-fits-all solution for your entire class or give your students a chance to customize their noise solution, the Noisli is extremely helpful to use! There are three different versions of Noisli that you can use: Noisli Web Version Noisli Chrome Extension Noisli iOS Version  Noisli is very simple to use. Choose a noise combination that will work best for you, whether you want to increase productivity, relax, a random set of sounds, or create your own customized set of noises. Noisli has a vast library of sounds, such as rain, a fan, and noise from a coffee shop. Next, choose whether not you want to use the timer feature. Set the timer for a specific amount of time and enjoy! Conclusion : Concent