virtual reality is beginning to spread, and so many of its uses have to do with consumption. What if students were able to create with VR? Darcy Grimes, a North Carolina educator and former state teacher of the year, shares how Google Tour Creator can help students learn how to create in virtual reality. You don't even need any fancy gear to make it happen!

165: Creating in VR with Darcy Grimes

Helping you teach with less reliance on the textbook through technology, creativity and innovation. Hosted by Ditch That Textbook's Matt Miller and Karly Moura. Find us at http://ditch.link/podcast. Subscribe to the email newsletter: http://ditchthattextbook.com/join

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Educational Technology

In this week’s episode of the Ditch That Textbook Podcast, Matt and Karly dive into digital escape rooms, 2024 vision boards, design prompts, and other ready-to-use resources to get you through those snowy winter days. 


News and updates:
Background remover is coming to Google Slides!


Big idea: Digital Escape Rooms
A digital escape room is a type of online game. It’s typically a digital version of a physical escape room, where participants are “trapped” in the room. They must solve puzzles and riddles to escape the room (or complete a specific task).
Our Digital Escape Room resources:
-More than 40 free digital escape rooms on our digital escape rooms page.
-Step-by-step instructions to make digital escape rooms
-Enroll in our online course: Getting Started with Digital Escape Rooms.
-Check out our newly updated Digital Escape Rooms Wakelet collection where you can find ALL of the resources above plus even more. (You can also get our Wakelet collections sent straight to your inbox by clicking on the subscribe button next to our name!)


Tech Tips:
-Create your own Lego Minifigure with Microsoft Designer
-Save time with Gmail template responses— Did you know that you can create templates in Gmail for emails you write often? They are easy to create and could save you lots of time! (Click on the settings wheel / settings / advanced / enable templates … then compose an email to create the template … three dots / templates / save draft as template … in email: three dots, templates).


Quick Teaching Strategies:
-Hopes and Dreams HyperDoc: This online lesson includes videos, quotes, and prompts to get them thinking and talking about the future. They will even use tools like Google Drawings or Canva to help them create their own special quote. After that, they can write a letter to their future selves and even create a vision board as an extension activity.
-Host a rock, paper, scissors tournament— Turn a fun, simple game into a fun ice breaker, brain break, or team-building activity. This post from Guide, Inc has everything you need to know!


Template of the week: Canva Vision Board
Welcome 2024 by designing a vision board or a single word/phrase that represents a goal or focus for the year with Canva EDU. bit.ly/CLCchallenge24

195: Snow days ahead? Ideas you can use in class or remotely

The Ditch Summit may be over but we can use what we learned all year long! In this episode of the Ditch That Textbook podcast, Matt and Karly recap some of their favorite ideas shared by our Ditch Summit spotlight sponsors including tool updates, tech tips and templates you can use right away. Matt also shares ideas from his session AI in the Classroom: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond.
News and updates:
Adobe Creative Express has some great updates!⁠
Matt’s back in the classroom! You can follow Matt’s on Twitter ⁠⁠Twitter.com/ @jmattmiller⁠⁠ to see some pictures, thoughts and updates
Big idea: AI in the Classroom: Today, Tomorrow and Beyond
How can AI help me right now? 
AI can give us ideas and save us time (Thought Partner). AI can be a Thinking Partner/Collaborator Example. AI can create lots of examples. Diffit.me⁠.  AI can provide feedback ⁠Curipod.com⁠. AI can be a fantastic accessibility tool ⁠Goblin.tools⁠
Where is AI Headed? How will it impact education? 
Read: ⁠6 ways to prepare students for an AI future⁠  Read: ⁠Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World⁠ and ⁠The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma⁠
Tech tips:
Use the audio feature in ⁠Book Creator⁠ for prereaders or those learning to read or those learning a new language.  Read ⁠Growing authors: 15 ways to use Book Creator to publish student writing⁠ for more ideas.
Chromebook Accessibility Features are built into the device! Learn more: Turn on Chromebook accessibility features
Quick Teaching Strategies:
Gamify class with ⁠BookWidgets⁠! With some of the widgets (like pairs matching) you can have a reward word. You can make this an exit ticket where students have to show you or whisper the reward word to you as they head out the door.
Record with ⁠ScreenPal⁠ for directions, for students who are absent, for a day with a substitute teacher or anytime you need to clone yourself to be in two places at once!
Template of the Week:
FigJam Trading Cards! Creating your own trading card is such a fun way to build community and learn about one another. Have everyone create their own card to share a picture and a little bit about themselves with one another.  Read more ⁠How to use FigJam in the classroom: 20 ideas + templates - Ditch That Textbook


194: Recapping the Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit

In this episode of the Ditch That Textbook podcast, Matt and Karly discuss the latest news and updates in education technology. They highlight Google's release of the Gemini AI model and Quizizz's new feature allowing students to refer to videos or documents while answering questions. The big idea for this episode is end-of-semester projects, with Matt suggesting the creation of infographics using tools like Google Drawings or Canva, and Karly recommending student-created quizzes as a way for students to show what they know. They also share tech tips, quick teaching strategies, and a template of the week to support you as we wrap up the semester.


News and updates:

 Google releases Gemini AI model
 Let your students refer to videos or documents while answering questions. Go to Quizizz AI Create, paste your YouTube link and toggle the "Allow students to watch this video while answering" button to generate a Multi-Part Comprehension Quiz!

The Big Idea: End of Semester Final Project Ideas

  Create an infographic: Infographics are very brain-friendly. They create a powerful verbal/visual mix that helps encode information in students’ long-term memory. Plus, they can be fun to create! They can end up being these visually stimulating products of student learning … the kind that students want to share with others!


  Utilize one of these 20 Google Applied Digital Skills lessons to get students creating at the end of the semester to showcase their skills.


Tech tips:

  Use Magic school tools + Raina the chat bot to create a lesson plan or outline from the resources generated. Check out this video to get to know Raina.
  Try a podcast from GZM media in your class! GZM Shows is an awesome resource for teachers looking for podcasts for the classroom. Browse the podcast library and access resources such as lesson plans, discussion guides, and explore boards.

Quick Teaching Strategies:

  Use Magic School’s Quote of the Day generator. Write the quote on the board and have your students respond as a bell ringer or exit ticket.
  Try a 5 clue challenge! 

Template of the Week:

  Free time interactive choice board is a compilation or the sites shared in this post 40 sites for students with free time on their hands.
  Use the resource as is by sharing the choice board link with your students.
  Reuse the Genially template by clicking on this link and then "Reuse this Genially". You will need to be logged into your Genailly account. Learn how to create your free account here.


193: No prep end of semester project ideas

In this episode of the Ditch That Textbook podcast hosts Matt Miller and Karly Moura share news about Magic School's new SEL lesson generator and a contest for sharing Ditch Summit. They discuss CS Ed Week resources including 20 ways to celebrate the Hour of Code and explore creativity with AI and NASA's Space Jam. They also provide tech tips on creating fill-in-the-blank image generator prompts and using virtual versions of robots. Matt and Karly share quick teaching strategies like writing a message in binary for students to decode and asking an AI assistant for common misconceptions about content. They also share a template of the week and ideas for using it.
News and updates:

 Magic School has a new SEL lesson generator!  Other new-ish tools from MagicSchool.ai include their Real World Connections Tool and the Standards Unpacker Tool.

 Win prizes for sharing Ditch Summit?!?!? 


Here’s how you can participate …

  Go to DitchSummit.com and sign up. 
  In your Ditch Summit welcome email, you’ll get your unique referral link. (If you got an earlier welcome email, it might not have a link. Just sign up again.)
  Go share your link far and wide! Every time someone clicks your link and signs up for the summit, you’ll get a referral.

Learn more in this issue of the DTT email newsletter.
The Big idea: 

  Computer Science Education Week Resources


  20 Ways to celebrate the Hour Of Code

  Unplugged CS resources include Hello Ruby, Kodable Unplugged and the “Program the Teacher” activity from CSinSF.

  Explore Boards Creativity with AI & NASA’s Space Jam

  Flip and NASA Live Event



Tech tips:

  Create fill-in-the-blank image generator prompts with Microsoft designer. Check out this Tweet from Becky Keene for a link to an example prompt.

  Use a virtual version of robots or physical computing devices to enhance your instruction. Visit Bee-Bots online, Ozobot simulator, and MakeCode for Micro:bits.

  Robots you might want to try in your classroom:


  Beebots

  Dash and Dot

  Ozobots

  Micro:bit

  Makey Makey



Quick teaching strategies:

  Write your students a message in binary and have your class decode the message as a warm up. Use Binary Translator and give your students the Binary Code Translator Key.

  Ask an AI assistant for common misconceptions about your content (#5 in this post Lesson planning with AI: Save time and get ideas)


Template of the week

  Learning awards template


Share with us on social media!
Use #Ditchbook or tag @jmattmiller or @Karlymoura on Twitter/X 

Don't forget to join the Ditch That Textbook email newsletter at DitchThatTextbook.com/join and be sure to subscribe to the show.

192: Celebrate CS Education Week and the Hour of Code

In this episode of the Ditch That Textbook podcast, hosts Matt Miller and Karly Moura delve into the exciting world of lesson planning with AI. They explore free tools that can help educators save time, offering quick teaching strategies and tech tips that can be implemented immediately. Additionally, they provide updates on education news and share innovative ideas for utilizing the template of the week. 
News and Updates

 YouTube will show labels on videos that use AI

 We have a new community! Join AI for Admins, an email newsletter and community providing AI tips, discussion, and policy ideas for school/district leaders.

 The Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit is almost here! Get all of the details and snag your FREE ticket at ⁠DitchSummit.com⁠


The Big Idea

 Artificial intelligence can help you write lesson plans faster -- and give you new ideas you might not consider. Here are some tips and strategies you can use. Check out our post Lesson planning with AI: Save time and get ideas.

  Ask an AI assistant for a lesson plan. Suggested tools: ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Bard, Perplexity, Anthropic Claude.

  Use AI tools to create lessons or parts of lessons for you. Suggested tools: MagicSchool.ai, EduAide, Diffit Curipod.


Tech Tips

  This idea comes from Nadine Gilkison, she suggests using responses from your students’ interest surveys to help craft AI prompts. Using resources like MagicSchool.ai’s “Make it Relevant” tool you can generate ideas that make what you’re teaching relevant to your class based on their interests and background. Check out: Student interest surveys to connect learning to their world - Ditch That Textbook

  Use Google Forms to record data about your students.  Check out:  25 practical ways to use Google Forms in class, school 


Quick Teaching Strategies:

  Try the add-and-pass strategy but add an AI twist by having an AI assistant generate the prompt for you! Ask AI to begin a story using your content. Have students either finish the story or use the add-and-pass strategy to complete it. Check out: Add and pass: A fun activity to get them moving AND creating - Ditch That Textbook

  Create a checklist for common feedback for students. Read:  How do I give feedback to 100+ students?


Template of the Week

  ⁠Be the Bot template from Ditch That Textbook



Don't forget to join the Ditch That Textbook email newsletter at ⁠DitchThatTextbook.com/join⁠ and be sure to subscribe to the show.

165: Creating in VR with Darcy Grimes

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