House of #EdTech

Everfi has resources to help teachers equip their students with the lifelong skills they'll need after graduation. From financial literacy to mental wellness, these free lessons will help schools be successful whether they are in face-to-face or online learning environments.

2021 House of #EdTech Smackdown

• Camila Oliveira - All In Learning
• Stephanie Howell - This or That Choice Boards
• Belle Hughes - Lumio by SMART & Classkick
• Abby Berk - Lumio by SMART
• Clark Fraser - Weebly
• Megan Gagnier & Alyssa Brower - Quizizz & Google Forms
• Haley Dietz - Blooket
• Savannah Remenaric - The Bitmoji Classroom
• Patrick Stalter - Google Forms
• Jacob Vannoy - Google Forms
• Ryan Gibson - Google Forms
• Bryon Carpenter - Momentum, Extensity, Clipboard History Pro
• Cameron Ross - Mote
• Carlos Garza - G RTF
• Chris Stuchko - YouTube
• Ryan Gutsch - Google Slides for Daily Agenda & Planboard.Chalk.com
• Linda Hummer - Google Slides for animation
• Nate Nagele - Google Docs background coloring, Google Slides Theme Builder, Color Coding & Emoji
• Anthony Arno - Kahoot!
• Mel A - Blooket, Desmos, Mote

Everfi has resources to help teachers equip their students with the lifelong skills they'll need after graduation. From financial literacy to mental wellness, these free lessons will help schools be successful whether they are in face-to-face or online learning environments.

Fads, Trends, and Snake Oil

You're going to start seeing, and I'm seeing it already, people who are going to claim Metaverse and NFT expertise in the education space. Don't let these become just more buzzwords in education.

Do your homework if you're truly interested in learning more. I believe that both of these stand to make a serious impact in the future of all humanity. Yes, ALL OF HUMANITY. But we're not there yet.

Read articles. Listen to podcasts. Find out about the Metaverse and NFTs outside of the scope of education.

Will there be a benefit in education? I believe we have ways to go and I don't want to see you get sold a bill of goods or find yourself with a basket full of snake oil.

What are your thoughts on the Metaverse and NFTs in education? Let's have a conversation and learn together.

Glide - Create powerful apps and websites, without code.

If you can make a spreadsheet in Google Sheets you can create your own mobile app. Sound too good to be true? It's not.

Ways to use Glide in education:

1. Create a mobile study guide: You or your students could create an app that lists each section or unit of your curriculum. In each section, you can provide videos, podcasts, or simply link to additional documents for review.
2. Create a mobile version of school handbooks: When parents have a question about your school, their first instinct is probably to pick up their phones to search your school's website or to call the office. A mobile version of your school's handbook could make it easy for parents to quickly find the answers to frequently asked questions.
3. Create a guide to your community: Are you looking for a community service project for your middle school or high school students? If so, consider having them develop a guide to the highlights of your community.
4. Develop a mobile reporting system: Do you have students or parents using Google Forms for logging information about multiple goals like independent reading, outdoor play, or behavior goals? If so, consider placing links to all of those forms in one convenient app. You'd do this by placing the links to your Forms in the columns in your spreadsheet before publishing it through Glide.
5. Room Use Schedule: Do you work in a school that has more teachers than classrooms? Is it a guessing game as to who is using which room when. Having an app that can make it easy to find out who is using which rooms at which times would be amazing! With Glide you could create that kind of app.

Rachel Langenhorst is a technology integrationist and instructional coach in Rock Valley, Iowa. A 27-year veteran in education, she prides herself on being a change agent and life-long learner. Rachel empowers others through collaboration, creation, and connection. She speaks and instructs throughout the Midwest, focusing her efforts on technology integration strategies, social media, Internet safety, and effective teaching practices. Graduate-level instructor North Western College and University of Sioux Falls & Sr. Education Specialist for the Mayo Clinic.

Episode Sponsor: Everfi

Everfi has resources to help teachers equip their students with the lifelong skills they'll need after graduation. From financial literacy to mental wellness, these free lessons will help schools be successful whether they are in face-to-face or online learning environments.

#EdTech Recommendation (4:12)

GoBoard - a free online tool that combines video chatting and an interactive canvas. Students can simply create a GoBoard on the site, share the link with a friend and start learning. GoBoard was designed to help students collaborate one-on-one, on virtually any topic. All in browser with nothing to download.

Featured Content (6:58)

Leena Marie Saleh - The EdTech Guru - a former classroom teacher with 10+ years of classroom experience. She has always been extremely passionate about technology and the role it can play in the classroom. Leena believes that providing students with critical skills for our future is both vital and important to provide a more equitable opportunity for ALL learners.

1. @leenamariesaleh
2. The EdTech Guru on YouTube

EdTech Truth Bombs

1. Tips for EdTech Coaches
2. Tips for and the value of being connected
3. Leena's YouTube strategy

House of #EdTech VIP (44:12)

Katrina Harris - 4th Grade Teacher | #pencilpusher | Outley Elementary (Houston) | #year7 | Certified in 5 states #HBCU Alumna | #SigmaGammaRho Educator

I built DIY soundproofing panels for the House of #EdTech! This is the video I used to guide me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPEouyiEt3Q

NatGeo MapMaker - Create, Share, and Print Custom Maps

Educational Duct Tape Podcast - Google Earth and other Geo Tools with the Partial Credit Podcast Guys

3 Ways to Reduce Technology Overload

1. Check-in With Students and Families
2. Take Stock of All Technology Used in Your Class
3. Provide Balance

Technology is a great asset in the world. It has opened many doors and new opportunities for teaching and learning. However, educational technology is never more important than education. Teaching and learning have to take the forefront and cannot live in the shadow of technology. We need to be mindful of the technology we use and require our students to use. This will help us to keep teaching and learning moving even in the most uncertain of times.

November Question of the Month - What are you thankful for?

Thank you to Chris Stuchko, Daniela Romero, Craig, Emma, and Amy

• 9th Grade Experience Podcast
• Ingles Podcast
• School Librarians United Podcast

Jay Billy - Father, Educator, Author, Speaker - Proud Principal of Ben Franklin Elementary School.

Lead with Culture: What Really Matters in Our Schools (A Lead Like a PIRATE Guide)

Jake Miller from the Educational Duct Tape Podcast wrote a book! Congratulations on the release of Educational Duct Tape: An EdTech Integration Mindset

There's more than one way.

I'm often asked for recommendations about the best edtech tools. I was recently interviewed on a soon-to-be-launched podcast and once again this question came up and I don't know if I've ever shared my thoughts in detail on this question or topic.

Does this mean you need to learn and become an expert in every edtech tool out there? No. But always be open to the existence of other tools for your benefit and the benefit of your students.

What do you think? What would you like to see with regard to what tools we learn and share? What are your thoughts on edtech company ambassador programs? Maybe I'm not seeing the benefits of being a volunteer cheerleader. Let me know.

In episode 126 I previously talked about select Chrome extensions that teachers should be leveraging. The following extensions from that episode are still super awesome:

• Bitmoji
• Nimbus Screenshot and Screen Recorder
• Screencastify
• AdblockPlus & Adblock for YouTube
• Grammarly

Here are some of the Chrome extensions I think educators should be using:

• Mote
• Print-Friendly & PDF
• Record to Slides
• Web Paint
• Auto Text Expander
• App for Instagram
• Random Student Generator
• Earth View
• Homey
• Giphy for Chrome
• Difree

Here's the question of the month for November...

• What are you thankful for? In life? In your career?
• Share your thoughts by Friday, October 29, 2021
• Feedback
• Voicemail

Support for this episode comes from eSpark Learning - eSpark helps teachers save time by giving you online resources for your small groups and centers based on the standard you're teaching each week.

Shout out to Dan Hacker on Clubhouse!

Thank you to Bryon Carpenter for including his thoughts about 186 on his podcast Fresh Air At Five.

Have we not learned our lessons?

50 SEL Prompts for Middle and High School

Student engagement can take on a different meaning or focus depending on the context of your goals. For some, the goal may be to understand early on what fundamentally motivates students, whether intrinsically or extrinsically, to acquire new knowledge and skills. For others, the focus may be relative to a specific lesson or activity during which capturing and retaining student attention "in the moment" is the most immediate concern.

Here are six factors to consider in designing lessons to help increase student engagement behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively.

1. MAKE IT MEANINGFUL
2. FOSTER A SENSE OF COMPETENCE
3. PROVIDE AUTONOMY SUPPORT
4. EMBRACE COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
5. ESTABLISH POSITIVE TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS
6. PROMOTE MASTERY ORIENTATIONS

October Question: What collaboration tools are you and/or your students loving?

Stefan Troutman - Padlet

November Question: What are you thankful for? In life? In your career?

Share your thoughts by Friday, October 29, 2021 I will include responses in episode 189 on November 7, 2021

2021 House of #EdTech Smackdown! This will be the 8th annual smackdown and it's one of my favorite regular episodes to create each year. Submit by December 18, 2021!

September 30th - International Podcast Day - SHARE THIS PODCAST!

Get Creative with Audio - QR Codes and Audio Sharing

Check out https://www.qr-code-generator.com/

Floop - Floop is a web app that saves teachers time and helps students see the value of feedback. Collect images, PDFs, and Google Docs from students. Leave text and audio comments that lead to conversations.

Floop is freemium. They have a basic free plan as well as a premium option and they are also willing to work with entire districts on larger scale pricing and rollout.

The only limit on the free plan is the number of active assignments you can have which is limited to 10.

Audio in School - https://www.weareteachers.com/best-podcasts-for-kids/

• Elementary School
  • But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids
  • Tumble
  • Brains On!
  
  
• Middle School
  • The Radio Adventures of Eleanor Amplified
  • StarTalk Radio
  • Stuff You Missed in History Class
  
  
• High School
  • Adult Ish – Youth Radio
  • Freakonomics Radio
  • Criminal
  
  

Podcasting In School

• 2017 - Episode 96, Episode 97, Episode 98
• Gear - chrisnesi.com/podcastgear
  • Mics & accessories
  • Recorders
  
  
• Software & Tools
  • Audacity, Audition, https://audiomass.co/
  • How to Install Audacity on Chromebook
  
  
• What to podcast about?
  • ANYTHING!
  
  

In episode 185 I talked a lot about collaboration so I want to know - What are yours and your student's favorite tool for collaboration? Why?

Submit your thoughts by Friday, October 1, 2021, and I will be able to include them in my October 3rd, release.

Collaboration - In this new era of learning, the education world is constantly changing. It's vital for educators and students to stay connected, collaborate, and learn from anywhere in the world. How we teach and learn remotely or virtually, share knowledge, and collaborate is more critical than ever before. How are you and your students using a collaborative space to turn ideas and learning into action?

Benefits of Collaborative Class Notes

1. Collaborate in real-time
2. Interlink class notes and other documents
3. Create fully responsive documents
4. Create class notes visible to yourself and your classmates
5. Track engagement on shared class notes with classmates, teachers, etc.

How to Make Your Class Notes Interactive?

1. Weblinks
2. PDFs, Presentations
3. Video content
4. Cloud Documents

Check out BIT @ https://bit.ai

Scott Chandler submitted a voice message that is the basis of this episode's topic.

Scott asked the following questions:

• How to create an environment, at the school and district level, that is professionally rich for the application of technology and learning and teaching?
• What do we expect from our administrators?
• What are our professional development expectations?
• How can we better collect or choose resources for instructional use?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

September Questions of the Month:

• What are you looking forward to trying in the coming months in your classroom or school?

Thank you to Nathan Nagele and Craig from Ingles Podcast for submitting responses.

Nate shared craft.do

October Questions of the Month:

• What are yours and your student's favorite tool for collaboration? Why?

Submit responses by 9/24

Hillary Umholtz - Passionate Future Educator, Tarleton State '22, EC-6th, ESL, All level SPED major

PodcastPD is back! Check out our latest episode, "Tips and Tricks for First-Year Teachers." Stacey Lindes, AJ Bianco, and I collected and share our own tips for the first-year educator.

Amy Marquez - NEW LISTENER! She's passionate about technology integration and building a lifelong love of learning and literacy. She's a high school librarian and instructional technology trainer.

Stop Posting Students' Faces on Social Media - inspired by @thedaringenglishteacher on Instagram.

Checkout her original post.

From @emilyy.nicholee on TikTok

Clean and bring new life to an older whiteboard

1. Clean it as best you can
2. For hard to clean areas use a magic eraser
3. Apply WD40 with a clean rag to your entire WB

If you're still not sure about TT go listen to episode 149 - TikTok in Education for Educators

Tech Tips to Start the School Year

1. Make friends with the tech team at your school and in the district.
2. Learn how to use new features in your Learning Management System
3. Write down your passwords
4. Try One New App and/or Strategy
5. Be Intentional About Reflecting

What are you looking forward to trying in the coming months in your classroom or school?

Submit responses by 8/27

Leena Saleh - The EdTech Guru

Leena is a former educator with more than 10 years of classroom experience and is extremely passionate about the world of technology and how it transfers into the classroom to make our students #workforce ready. She believes that providing students the skills for our future is absolutely vital and is important to creating a more equitable opportunity for ALL students. She also believes that exposure creates opportunity.

Leena has worked with hundreds of Educators, Thought Leaders, and Edtech Companies guiding them through this next 'era' of Education.

Join Leena on YT as she explores hot topics in the world of education, tech tips, and even a bit of career guidance.

https://twitter.com/leenamariesaleh https://linktr.ee/leenamariesaleh

You need hobbies. Here are the five types of hobbies you should have in your life:

1. Make money
2. Keep you in shape
3. Keep you creative
4. Build your knowledge
5. Evolve your mindset

What are your hobbies? Leave a comment below.

The following are tech tips and websites you should explore as the 2021 school year gets underway (or anytime).

• 4 New Google Docs Features
• Clear space in your Google account
• Mecabricks.com
• MyColor.space
• Animatron.com
• Jitter.video
• printfriendly.com
• justdeleteme.xyz
• pixelhunter.io
• FREE Canva for educators!

What are you looking forward to trying in the coming months in your classroom or school?

Submit responses by August 27, 2021, by clicking Send a Voicemail on the right of this page.

• Erin Cummings
• Marilena Neocleous