The Classroom Commute

Over the past couple of months I’ve been peppering in conversations about digital citizenship.  Every few weeks or so, I’ve focused on different aspects of digital citizenship.  We’ve discussed helping our students understand the concept of media balance, how to teach them about privacy and security online, and how to be mindful of the digital footprint that they are leave behind.

These are all great topics of digital citizenship to weave into our every day conversations as students are interactive online and on digital devices.

But today, I’m going to talk about the one element of digital citizenship that keeps me up at night:  cyberbullying.

I have two young kids myself, and I worry about what online life is going to be like when they reach the age of being on social media and interacting online.  It’s already a scary place out there online, especially for young, vulnerable kids.

So, that’s why we can’t leave the conversation of “cyberbullying” up to anyone else.  This topic might be one of the most important digital citizenship concepts that we teach students.  And in this podcast episode, I want to explore how teachers can help be part of conversation.

FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES VISIT:  classroomnook.com/podcast/117

EPISODE 102: Digital Citizenship: Making Healthy Media Choices and Finding Balance

EPISODE 106: Digital Citizenship (Helping Elementary Students Understand Privacy & Security Online)

EPISODE 112: Digital Citizenship: Teaching Students About the Digital Footprint They Leave Behind

I’ve got a super cool Google Slides tip to share with your today. I want to share how you can easily get a quick view of your students all working on THEIR own digital device from YOUR device.  

Whether you’re an avid user of Google Slides or just use it here and there - you’re going to LOVE this tip.  

And, here’s the cool thing - your students don’t even need to have a Google account.  You don’t even need to be using Google Classroom in your classroom.  The teacher only will simply need a Google account his/herself, and the ability to share a link with students.

FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES VISIT:  classroomnook.com/podcast/116

Click HERE to watch the Video Tutorial

QR Code Generator 

Over 10 years ago I started a blog called The Classroom Game Nook blog.  I started it because I am a big fan of finding ways to make learning more fun for students.  When learning is fun, motivation, engagement, and student success often follow.

On my blog the Classroom GAME Nook, I shared all the ways that I used fun and games in the classroom.  And, although over the years I dropped the word “game” from my title, and am now just The Classroom Nook, I certainly did not stop striving to find ways to make learning fun through games.

I want to explore gamification in the classroom.  Gamification is a term that we’ve heard pop up in the education world lately.  Kids love games.  When they play games, they have fun, and when they have fun: they learn.  

So, what is it about games that are so attractive?  And how can we capture those elements and apply it to other areas in the classroom?  Well - that’s exactly what we’re about to explore.

FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES VISIT:  classroomnook.com/podcast/115

Click HERE to listen to the TED talk with Paul Anderson

Learning Game Apps:

• Kahoot
• Quizlet

NO ONE LIKES CHANGE

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of shaking things up in the classroom and swapping out old, stale ways of teaching and replacing them with modern 21st century teaching practices.

Now, you would think that I welcome change with open arms because of how often I talk about applying and trying out new teaching methods, or a new cool classroom technology tool.

And of course, you might think that I’m quick to abandon traditional teaching methods by how often I talk about LINKtivites - my solution to making learning fun and engaging by providing students with a multimedia learning experience.

Well, guess what.  No - I don’t like change.  I’m not always the first one to adopt something new.  I’m often tardy to the party when it comes to trends.

But - what I do have going for me that often helps me go outside my comfort zone is my desire to provide the best possible learning experience for students.  

In today’s episode I’m sharing with you a replay of an episode I did in early 2021 about 4 alternatives to teaching from a textbook. 

Textbooks seem to be that tried and true tool that teachers have had forever.  But - if I’m being honest - I’ve never seen a student get excited about reading from a textbook.  And likewise - I’ve never seen a teacher get excited either.

In this episode, learn about four 21st century teaching methods that you can apply to your classroom today to replace teaching from a boring, or outdated textbook.

For complete show notes visit:  classroomnook.com/podcast/114

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LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

POST: Five Reasons Why You Should Use Reader’s Theater in the Upper Elementary Classroom

RESOURCES:  Discovery Learning Folders

• Native American Regions in North America 
• Political Decisions Made During the Civil War
• Biomes 
• Early European Explorers
• Major Battles of the American Revolution

POST: Engaging Your Students With LINKtivity Interactive Learning Guides (Plus grab a FREE LINKtivity!)

LINKtivity® Learning Membership  (Get a FREE 7-Day Trial!)

Studies have show the benefit of giving students choice in their learning.  One of the ways teachers do this is by implementing the use of choice boards in the classroom.

A choice board is simply a collection of activities (they can be digital, nondigital, or a combination), usually formatted visually on a grid.  Students are then invited to choose one or more of those activities to complete.  They are the ones choosing which activity interests them.  So - right away, they are taking ownership of their learning.

FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES VISIT:  classroomnook.com/podcast/113

EPISODE 91: The TRUTH About Learning Styles

Join the LINKtivity® Learning Membership and get access to my entire vault of LINKtivity Interactive Learning Guides - CLICK HERE to join.

And that’s not an exaggeration.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that one action online can impact you for a long time.  One comment on social media (good or bad) can go viral and become impossible to stop.

Once the internet gets a hold of something, we can quickly lose control.  We’ve seen this in both positive and negative situations.  We’ve seen the hilarious cat videos go viral or a feel-good story spread from coast to coast.

But - we’ve also seen situations where something gets out of hand, or something is taken out of context and then spreads far and wide online.  Maybe you’ve experienced this first-hand. It can be heartbreaking and devastating to the people involved.

What we say and do online can have a lasting impact.  Once it’s out there in the world, it essentially lasts forever.

However, our students don’t always think beyond the moment (Heck - many adults don’t think beyond the moment).  They don’t always consider that what they say and do online can leave behind a digital footprint.   And - this digital footprint can shape their identity and impact their online AND offline reputation.

That’s why it’s so important to start young, teaching students the responsibilities they have as digital citizens.  The sooner we start to train kids to think about their actions online and the digital footprints that they leave behind, the better.

FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES VISIT:  classroomnook.com/podcast/112

EPISODE 102: Digital Citizenship: Making Healthy Media Choices and Finding Balance

EPISODE 106: Digital Citizenship (Helping Elementary Students Understand Privacy & Security Online)

Join the LINKtivity® Learning Membership and get access to my entire vault of LINKtivity Interactive Learning Guides - CLICK HERE to join.

I know I sure have from time to time.

As our classrooms become more and more digital-friendly and as we integrate more and more technology instruction, we’re bound to run into a few snags along the way. 

We try sooo hard to provide students with 21st century learning experiences;  experiences that often include technology and multimedia with all the other bells and whistles.

The intention is good, but the execution sometimes hits a snag.  I wanted to share my own experiences of the challenges I have had with classroom technology, the mistakes I’ve made, and the ways that I’ve tried to avoid making these same mistakes over and over.

FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES VISIT:  classroomnook.com/podcast/111

EPISODE 95:  What is a 21st Century Classroom??

EPISODE 97: Creating a Multimedia Classroom (Part 1: What the Research Says)

EPISODE 98: Creating a Multimedia Classroom (Part 2: Applications for the Classroom)

EPISODE 99: Classroom Technology: A Simple Model for Using it Effectively

I sure do, and in this episode of The Classroom Commute podcast - I’ve got a good one!  

If you have ever used a Smartboard before, the you’re likely familiar with the concept of an infinite cloner.  This feature allows you to have an object or image on the screen that students can reproduce, or clone, over and over and over - as many times as they’d like.  This feature comes in handy in a lot of scenarios.  However - this feature is NOT available inside of Google Slides - or is it?

While the infinite cloner may not be a feature in Google Slides, I know of a little hack that will get the job done and work just as good!

FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES VISIT:  classroomnook.com/podcast/110

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EPISODE 53: Using a Reading Genre Wheel to Encourage Reading Variety

EPISODE 31: How to Use a Reader’s and Writer’s Notebook in the Upper Elementary Classroom

• Grab the Done-for-You Reader’s Notebook HERE
• Grab the Done-for-You Writer’s Notebook HERE

VIDEO TUTORIAL: How To Create an Infinite Clone in Google Slides

We’re back with another installment of a fun new series that I’ve started here in 2022 called “H(APPY)” Hour.  That’s happy with an emphasis on APP.  

In this series I’m sharing a must-try app that teachers can use for themselves or with their students.  And in today’s APPY Hour, I’m going to share about an app is use absolutely every single day without fail!

It’s called Canva and it's one of the best apps out there for creating amazing resources for students, eye catching images, and even videos!  Seriously - if you have not heard of this app, you’re in for a treat.

If you a DIYer like I was in the classroom and love creating fun resources for your students - Canva is a must-have.  If you have a teacher Instagram or even a classroom Facebook group - Canva is a must-have. If you love creating digital anchor slides for your morning work, or for really, anything in your classroom —then stick around because I’m going to share with you the power that is Canva!

FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES VISIT:  classroomnook.com/podcast/109

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Check out Canva HERE.

Join the LINKtivity Learning Membership and get access to my entire vault of LINKtivity Interactive Learning Guides - CLICK HERE to join.

Back in September of 2021, I embarked on a new journey and for the first time I opened the doors to LINKtivity® Learning.  It’s a membership designed to give teachers an unlimited all-access pass to my entire library of LINKtivity® interactive learning guides.

LINKtivities support teachers who want to give their students a multimedia learning experience that not only helps them develop 21st century skills, but also effortlessly engages and motivates students to learn.

I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about the LINKtivity® Learning membership - which is my #1 way that I support teachers these days.  And - I’ve been getting a lot of the same questions - so in this episode, I’m gonna get into the nitty gritty.  

I’ll help you decide if LINKtivity® Learning is right for you. I’m answering all your questions and everything you could possibly want to know about LINKtivities, including some very exciting new things we are working on behind the scenes.

FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES VISIT:  classroomnook.com/podcast/108

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EPISODE 100: 10 Ways to Use LINKtivity® Interactive Learning Guides in the Classroom

Contact me HERE to stay “in the know” on when my LINKtivity Membership will be available outside the USA or if you have any further questions.  

Preview entire LINKtivity® Library 

Join the LINKtivity® Learning Membership and get access to my entire vault of LINKtivity Interactive Learning Guides - CLICK HERE to join.

CLICK HERE to grab a FREE LINKtivity® on Nonfiction Text Features