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February - Podcasting: The New Research Paper?

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  Quote of the Month - February The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. - Dolly Parton Is there an alternative to the research paper? Ok, let me start by saying that I LOVE research papers.  I love coming up with a topic, a thesis idea, digging through sources to find supporting facts, and citing sources.  I love constructing the language to communicate my findings in an interesting way. I also love teaching kids how to complete research and write a paper.  It's just awesome.  However, the problem with research papers is that they are only for a singular audience.  The teacher who grades them.  And, that limits the amount of interest and dedication a student may have for completing them.  In this month's post, I propose an alternative for the research paper: the podcast.  A good podcast is constructed in a way that engages a wider audience and forces students to think about how best to present their informat...
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January - Up Your Design Game -

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  Quote of the Month - January We will open the book.  Its pages blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Years Day.  - Edith Lovejoy Pierce Ꭰօ վօմ Ӏìҟҽ քɾҽէէվ էհìղցʂ? I am definitely one of those people who look at the beautiful lesson plans for sale on Teacher Pay Teachers and think to myself.  "Why don't my activities look that pretty?  Can't I design something that cool?"  And, "HOW DO THEY DO IT? "  This month we focus on the tools you can use to make beautiful resources for your classroom.  And, a couple of tutorials to show you how! Ƒɾҽҽ Ꭰҽʂìցղ ͲօօӀʂ I love the word free.  Especially when it comes to tools that I can use with my students and for my students.  The following list offers a couple of tools that are great for designing resources for your students.  Or, even better, for your students to use! A few of my favorite things... Create Graphics (...
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December - Digital Storytelling

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Quote of the Month - December The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.     - Brandon Sanderson Who doesn't love a good story? One of my favorite activities to do with my child is to tell stories.  She loves to listen to me make-up adventure stories about a pirate that sails the seas to have adventures with friends.  And, sometimes she will even make up a story on her own.  The whole activity allows us to connect with each other and use our imaginations.  Educationally storytelling has incredible benefits for our students.  By listening or telling stories our students can improve listening skills and imagination.  And, developing and telling stories encourages higher-order thinking and deeper thinking of our content areas.  The best part is storytelling can be incorporated into any content area.  So, what is "digital storytelling"? Digital storytelling is not about just us...
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November 2021 - Is your Google Drive a hot mess?

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 Quote of the Month - November  “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” — Michael Altshuler Is Your Google Drive a Hot Mess? My Google Drive is or was embarrassing. I had made attempts to be organized and as a result, it was WAY more disorganized. I figured "hey if I make this folder then I will certainly remember to put things in there and then go back to it when I need those things". Well, I was lying to myself. I had dreams of being organized. But what I was missing was lessons from  Marie Kondo  and the  Home Edit  ladies. Which is this: 1- Thank the document, slides, whatever for their service, and declutter, and 2- create a system that is user friendly and colored in rainbows. Luckily, Google Drive has features that make this easy. This month's I am going to give you tips to keep your Google Drive organized and user-friendly with inspiration from the organization gurus. Tips for Organizing Your Google Drive The KonMari Method ...
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