Not If, but WHEN -- the Reboot

 December 14, 2020 -- a day that will live in infamy! Why?

1.) It was a Monday.

2.) It was the last Monday before winter break.

3.) It was 2020.

4.) It was the day Google experienced a worldwide outage of all its services.

The panic set in for me at 6:15 AM CST when Dr. Uphoff sent a text saying Google Drive appeared to not be working. That text led me down a rabbit hole of discovery -- and then I had to find a way to let the teachers and students (who are wholly reliant on Google products) know they had no tools to use (including Gmail).

Fortunately, the services started to return just in time for our students to come online to begin their day of learning. But in that short window, many of us began to scramble in our minds for ways to make learning happen without the tools we have become dependent upon. And it reminded me of this blog post I wrote a few years ago. I though it was worth a reboot.

This year more than ever, we are relying heavily on online tools for teaching and learning. But what if we lose access to that technology?

That's actually the wrong question to ask. It should be,

What should we do WHEN we lose access to the technology?

Bottom line: it WILL happen. We need to be ready for it. Whether it is a blown projector bulb, a dead computer, network connectivity issues, power outage, or global outage of Google services, there will come another time when the technology we rely on isn't so reliable. When this happens, the first thing is don't panic!

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Next is don't get mad at me haha!

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In all seriousness, here are some thoughts:

1.) Have "unplugged" backup activities at the ready. Just like we have emergency snow day lessons ready to go, have some curriculum-related, non-tech dependent activities ready to go. It could be an article or story to read or some sort of hands-on activity. It could be something creative or a game of some sort. Just be sure to have something available so the kids are still meaningfully occupied.

2.) Because we have a number of students who are currently learning remotely, it is important to have a communication method available in case the normal avenues are down (Gmail, Google Meet, Google Classroom). Consider using something like Remind as an alternative. If you don't want to have an alternative (it could be just one more thing to juggle), be sure your remote students know what they can do until you are able to reconnect with them. 

3.) Do some legwork. Is the problem only related to you, or do others seem to be having the same issue? Check with colleagues, or hop on Twitter to see what's trending. Do a quick Google search to see if there is anything being mentioned. Check a service like DownDetector to see if others are reporting issues. Check that your device still has an internet connection. Xheck that you are connected to the correct network (devices are notorious for connecting to IndianNet Guest, which is going to limit what you can do). Try a restart. Verify your device is updated. There can be a myriad of reasons why you suddenly don't have access to the services you need. See if you can narrow down the issue; that will help determine if it is something a member of the tech team can assist with.

4.) Be patient, please. It takes time for services to become available. For instance, if we have a power outage, it takes time for the network to get itself back in order before it can be accessed. Often, it is not possible to offer a time frame for when things will be back to normal.

5.) Have some grace with yourself. It is not the end of the world if things are a little haywire for a bit. You're not going to get in trouble. The kids will not suffer. When things are out of your control, all you can do is roll with it.

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6.) Pick up where you left off when you can. You might be able to pick up where you left off in the same day; sometimes the day ends up being shot (it's too close to the end of the day, the problems don't get resolved, the kids are too wound up from the disruption in their schedule). In that case, pick up where you left off tomorrow.

The bottom line is this: technology is going to fail us at times. None of us are good teachers because of the technology. It's just a tool in our toolbox. We all know how to create meaningful learning experiences without technology. It's okay if we go old school. If there is one thing 2020 has taught us -- teachers AND students -- it's resilience. Trust me. You're better than the technology. When it fails you, it will be okay!

Cool Tool Alert -- Wakelet

 I have heard for quite a while about Wakelet. I see people Tweeting about it. I hear them mention it at conferences. But I never knew what it was. I finally decided to check it out and see why it was so popular.

Boy, am I glad I did that!

Wakelet allows you to create collections for FREE. Essentially you give your collection a title, and then you can add anything with a link -- websites, YouTube videos, files from Google Drive, images, PDFs, Tweets. Once you have a collection created, you can share it, yes, even with your students!

Here's a really great video that shows how to create a collection:

How can you use this? well, you can create a collection of resources to be shared with your subject area/grade level team, or even your students! You can even just create a collection for yourself so you have a pool of items to choose from whenever you are teaching a particular unit. You could also invite students to contribute to a collection so that you can crowd source items for kids to use to complete a project or review for an assessment. Maybe kids can create collections that they can use as a sort of idea file for a class.

Wakelet is a great tool to manage different types of online resources, keep resources organized, and encourage collaboration.

Do you have an idea for how to use Wakelet? Drop it in the comments here, and I will send you a Google sticker as my way of saying thank you for joining the discussion!

Hour of Code is Coming!

 Channahon School District 17 has participated in Hour of Code every year for the past 7 years! This year is no different! I want to share some information with you about Hour of Code that I think is very interesting and useful!

First, what the heck is Hour of Code? Well, it began as a one hour coding challenge to pique interest in computer science. It has become a global event, and all it takes is your willingness to donate an hour of class time -- no experience (or even computers!!) necessary! And it's for kids of all ages, anywhere from kindergarten all the way up to adult (yes, even YOU can have fun during Hour of Code). Check out the fun video below -- how many famous faces do you recognize?

How is Hour of Code completed? It is done through fun, engaging games and activities that kids enjoy, using things like Disney  or Star Wars movies and characters and games like Minecraft, Flappy Bird, Angry Birds, and even Space Invaders. The lessons are run as tutorials, including video instructions and hints along the way to help the kids write their own lines of code! Come on -- who doesn't want a legit reason to spend and hour playing games during class time????

Sorry, I don't teach computers. Sorry, I don't know anything about coding. Sorry, I don't have time to find or develop lessons. No worries! Coding is NOT just for computer class! In fact, many activities are curriculum based, so you can easily find a coding activity that can be used in math, language arts, science, social studies, P.E., art, or music! You need to have exactly ZERO experience with coding! The lessons are created to teach you and your students from the ground up! And the lessons are already created for you -- and one of the things I will be doing is finding what I think are the coolest lessons out there and sharing them directly with you -- call it positive peer pressure :-) All you have to do is commit one hour of class time to giving the kids -- and yourself -- the chance to learn! Set aside an hour (or 2 30 minute sessions, or 3 20 minute sessions, or 4 15 minute sessions) where all any of you do is try your coding activity -- teachers included!

When is Hour of Code supposed to happen? December 7 - 13, 2020

Can you commit to doing an hour of code in your class those days? If so, share it on Twitter! All you have to do is click here to post a Tweet that you and your students are going to be part of this global event!

Cool Tool Alert -- Go Formative

 Teachers are always looking for ways to get feedback from their students in order to gauge understanding. There's a tool that has been around for a while that does this nicely -- and I can't believe that I am only now learning about it! It's called Go Formative.

You create what is called a Formative for your students to respond to. You can add content and ask questions. Free content includes

• Embedding
• Images
• Text
• Video
• Whiteboard

Free questions include

• Essay
• Multiple choice
• Multiple select
• Short answer
• Show your work
• True/False

Plus there is a question bank you can search to find questions that are ready to use -- no need to figure everything out on your own!!

AND you can attach learning standards to your questions!

AND it syncs with Google Classroom!

Here's a video tour of Go Formative!

Check All the Boxes: Think, Learn, and Have Fun!

 Teachers hope every lesson they do with their students checks these three boxes:

1.) The students think!

2.) The students learn!

3.) The students have fun!

It's hard to check all those boxes, but what if I told you there was an activity already created for you that DOES check all those boxes AND is aligned to learning standards AND is appropriate for your grade level AND is tied to your curriculum AND has all the answers for you? Too good to be true? Nope.

It's called BreakoutEDU.

Wait. How can we safely do a BreakoutEDU activity right now? We can't have kids running around the classroom looking at clues and have all those kids crowded around a box with so many hands touching locks.

Enter the digital Breakout!

Digital Breakouts are all done online so kids can work independently! Sure they can collaborate with kids in their vicinity, but there's no need to have them moving around the room! All the clues they need to figure out the puzzles are right there on their screen, and there are even follow up questions yo can use after the kids do a digital Breakout to help them process their learning from the experience!

Want to try a digital Breakout? Let me help! Let me know the grade level and topic and I can curate some ideas for you! This is a subscription service, that's why you need my help :-)

I can't wait to help you get a digital Breakout going in your classroom!

Remote Learning in Grades 6 and Up: What Does it Look LIke?

  Nicole Zumpano from the Learning Technology Center and a number of tech coaches in Illinois assembled a great document called, "Return to Learn Playbook." One of the things I would like to share (in summary form) is what remote learning looks like at different grade levels. This week, I'll be looking at grades 6 and up.

When it comes to engaging these unique learners, here are some things to consider:

• Students are old enough to have synchronous online lessons
• If a student is absent, consider recording the lesson for the student to view later (please discuss this with your building principal)
• Can "flip" instruction -- create videos for students to watch to present information asynchronously, using synchronous lesson time for practice/discussion/review of material
• Provide online Q & A time and discussions
• Utilize breakout rooms for small group work or re-teaching
• Communication via email -- remind students to check their email regularly
• Remind students to review teacher comments on assignments
• Provide clear expectations for accountability -- attendance, tardies, discussions, assignments, assessments
• Involve parents as necessary
• Use chat as a backchannel, encourage students to assist each other
• Use daily checkins
• Structure lessons to include choice/differentiation with hyperdocs
  

Wondering what tools to use? Here are some ideas that you might already be familiar with!

• Google Classroom
• 
  YouTube
• EdPuzzle
• Padlet
• Flipgrid
• Kahoot
• PearDeck
• Nearpod
• Poll Everywhere
• Hyperdocs
• Quizizz
• Google Forms
• Socrative
• Gimkit
• Gmail
• Remind

Remote Learning in Grades 3 - 5: What Does it Look Like?

  Nicole Zumpano from the Learning Technology Center and a number of tech coaches in Illinois assembled a great document called, "Return to Learn Playbook." One of the things I would like to share (in summary form) is what remote learning looks like at different grade levels. This week, I'll be looking at grades 3-5.

When it comes to engaging these tweens, here are some things to consider:

• Use a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning
• Make communication of all sorts clear for the learners as well as the parents/caregivers (might want to consider having "annotated" instructions for the adults for the younger kids in this group especially)
• Consider having office hours where you are simply online and available for questions
• Focus on using a few tools that kids are familiar with; add new tools slowly and one at a time
• Create short audio and/or video instructions, comments, and feedback to supplement written
• Allow for social interaction between teacher/students and student/student
• Create routines so kids and families know what to expect during a live session
• Give younger students opportunities to practice online behaviors -- how to mute/unmute, chat, raise hand, etc. Older students won't necessarily need time to practice, but they should know what the expectations are.
• Share assessment criteria with families so they know what to look for while their child is learning
• Provide help guides for online tools to parents/caregivers
• Offer/set time limits, especially for offline work
• Find opportunities to meet with each student individually in order to build relationships
• Keep open communication with parents/caregivers
• Communicate via email and/or phone calls
• Model online behavior for students
• Watch for nonverbal cues of disengagement (acting silly, not looking at camera, being distracted by things around them)
• Use choice boards or hyperdocs to offer students choice in their learning
• Create interactive lessons using tools that make this easy to do (see suggestions below)

Wondering what tools to use? Here are some ideas that you might already be familiar with!

• Google Classroom
• EdPuzzle
• Padlet
• Flipgrid
• Kahoot
• PearDeck
• Nearpod
• Poll Everywhere
• Book Creator
• Hyperdocs
• Google Slides
• Loom
• Quizizz
• Google Forms
• Socrative
• Gmail
• Remind
• Google Sites
• Screencastify
  

Remote Learning in K-2 -- What Does it Look Like?

 Nicole Zumpano from the Learning Technology Center and a number of tech coaches in Illinois assembled a great document called, "Return to Learn Playbook." One of the things I would like to share (in summary form) is what remote learning looks like at different grade levels. This week, I'll be looking at grades K-2.

When it comes to engaging the youngest of our learners, here are some things to consider:

• Use a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning
• Make communication of all sorts clear for the learners as well as the parents/caregivers (might want to consider having "annotated" instructions for the adults)
• Consider having office hours where you are simply online and available for questions
• Focus on using a few tools that kids are familiar with; add new tools slowly and one at a time
• Create audio and/or video instructions, comments, and feedback
• Allow for social interaction between teacher/students and student/student
• Create routines so kids and families know what to expect during a live session
• Give students opportunities to practice online behaviors -- how to mute/unmute, chat, raise hand, etc.
• Share assessment criteria with families so they know what to look for while their child is learning
• Provide help guides for online tools to parents/caregivers
• Offer/set time limits, especially for offline work
• Find opportunities to meet with each student individually in order to build relationships
• Keep open communication with parents/caregivers
• Model online behavior for students
• Watch for nonverbal cues of disengagement (acting silly, not looking at camera, being distracted by things around them)

Wondering what tools to use? Here are some ideas that you might already be familiar with!

• Seesaw
• Google Meet
• Flipgrid
• Screencastify/Loom
• Padlet
• Book Creator

Cool Tool Alert -- Page Eraser

 Have you ever taken a screen shot of a web page but had to edit it because there was material on it that was inappropriate for students? Or have you ever projected a web page -- including a YouTube video -- that had inappropriate images, advertising, or language on it? This is the bane of many teachers' existence! None of us want to show things to our students that are not school appropriate! How can we do this easily, especially when we have no idea what surprising ads a web page holds for us?

Enter the Page Eraser Chrome Extension!

This Chrome extension allows you to click one time on the icon to turn the tool on, then simply click on any element on the web page you DON'T want displayed! And voila -- it's gone! Refreshing the page will bring back all erased elements! It's really that easy!

Check out the Page Eraser extension in action in the video below!

Kids do the Darnedest Things!

 If you're a teacher, then you know kids do the darnedest things! We know they are innovative and creative not just because they get the opportunity to show those characteristics in our classrooms but also because they can get innovative and creative when it comes to evading work!

First, let's be honest -- we can all identify, right? We are all human, after all -- we all have had days where we didn't feel like working or had things to do that we just didn't have the heart for. We've all had moments where we have tried to evade our own work, too. So we can at least empathize with our students when they can't get focused, either.

But we don't get a free pass to blow off our responsibilities, and kids really can't either. But they will try! One common thing students do is have extra open tabs or windows on their computers with sites they like to go to -- maybe it's a game site or their personal email or a page where they can make a shopping wish list or even just another Google Doc where they can "chat" with a friend. This becomes a problem when students are more focused on the fun than the work. What can teachers do about this? It's a problem that's not going away.

One thing to do is simply to ask the student, "How come you're doing X instead of working? Are you already done? Are you not understanding what to do? Did you run into some problem?" By asking questions, we can try to ferret out why the student isn't engaged and work from there. 

But what if this becomes a real problem? Of course, we need to continue to redirect students to get them pointed in the right direction, but you might also have to pull rank sometimes. In the start of the year slide deck I shared, you'll find information there to tell kids that even though their school account has their name on it, it's not theirs; it belongs to the school district. It's also monitored. The Chromebooks are also district property until they graduate, AND students have signed an AUP where they agree to use their accounts and devices according to school rules. That means, if needed, you can do some investigative work.

One thing you can do is check the student's current open tabs. You might need to move the mouse to the Chrome icon to see if there are multiple Chrome windows open. Sometimes they hide one set of tabs behind another.

You can also check the history for recently visited sites. Do that by clicking on the 3 dots in the upper right corner and then moving your mouse to History.

Finally, you can also re-open any recently closed tabs by using control+shift+t to reopen those tabs.

Obviously, we don't want our students to feel like we don't trust them or that we're spying on them. But sometimes, we might need to do a quick check to make sure our kids are with us during lessons. Trying to approach off-task behavior as a way to build a relationship of communication and collaboration instead of mistrust is the goal we all have! We've been dealing with off-task behavior as teachers for a long, long time! Remember these?

Off-task behavior has just gotten a tech boost, is all!

Originality Reports Are Coming!

This one is especially for the TRS and JH teachers -- you're going to love this new feature that is being rolled out this month in Google Classroom! Originality reports are coming!

Soon, when you create an assignment in Google Classroom, you will have the choice to enable Originality Reports. Here's what happens when you do this:

• Students have their assignment scanned for originality. The scan checks for things like matches to content found in websites and books as well as against a database of other student work. Any potential matches that are found are flagged for the student to review and correct. Links to the matched information are provided.
• When the assignment is submitted to the teacher in Classroom, another originality report is generated for the teacher to see any potential matches of information.

Here are a couple of caveats:

1.) Teachers are only allowed to enable originality reports on 3 assignments per Classroom.

2.) Students can run up to 3 originality reports on an assignment, but only for assignments where the teacher has indeed enabled the originality reports feature.

This feature is intended to be a teaching tool for students, helping them to recognize and correct unintended plagiarism. It's not intended to be a "gotcha" tool for teachers. This makes sense, because ultimately, when we check for potential plagiarism in student work, it is so that the student can fix that problem and not make it again in future work, NOT to catch the student and punish him or her. 

I will be compulsively checking Google Classroom for this feature to be active in our domain, and I will be sure to let you know when it's live for us. In the meantime, if you want to do some reading up on this feature, here are a couple of links for you to check out.

Google for Education post about Originality Reports

GSuite Blog post about Originality Reports

Directions for students about how to run an originality report and edit their work

Why You Should Care About Copyright

Copyright is one of the most exciting things you could ever learn about! Now that you have stopped rolling your eyes, maybe I can convince you that copyright isn't exciting, but it is important -- for both teachers AND students to understand! Lots of people in education ignore copyright -- maybe because they don't understand it; maybe because they think it's too complicated to understand; maybe they just don't really know what it is all about; and maybe they simply don't care.

Let me attempt to simplify it for you: if you didn't create it, it's someone else's work, and it's protected by copyright law. No little copyright symbol required. So that means you need to document the use if it's being used here at school (whether by you or students) and not outside of school (like being published somewhere or displayed outside of school). This can be done formally in a works cited following a standard format, or it can be done by simply including a name and website for where the item or information was found.

Images found online are also protected by copyright, but there is an easy way to search for images that already have built-in permission to use. Here's a short video that shows just how easy it is to do this and respect copyright!




In a nutshell, document your use of images, video, or information you use because it's someone else's work and you're respecting copyright. Yes, there's lots more to know, but this is the important stuff right here!

Want to really delve into copyright? Let me know! I've got a great presentation that explains it all AND shows you some fantastic tools you can use to make working within copyright law super easy!