Ed Tech in Our Classrooms

Last year, I was placed in a third-grade class last winter at Holmes Elementary , this classroom was at a very young blended stage but the teacher was aiming to build her classroom to a blended classroom.  During the reading section of the day, students would be in their reading groups and one of the groups used Imagine Reading. Imagine Reading is a reading app that allows students to read a variety of different online books or have them read to them, once they are done reading they get a point and the points can be used to level up and unlock cool items. This was a really good incentive for the students and got them interested in reading. The other reading stations included silent reading and guided reading. There are many different applications and online tools for students to use across many different subjects so the idea of a blended classroom is becoming more realistic.  

 Today, I was supposed to be in Washington, DC, meeting with Technology Leaders from around the world. It was an honor to be invited to attend. This year there are almost 60 of us. The people in this screenshot are amazing computer science educators, engineers, technologists, and scholars. I was brought in because of my service on a committee and because of my research work.  

 Wow! Such a grand number of hoops to leap through before being allowed into my office for ten minutes. Totally worth it though. I picked up a Chromebook with a broken screen. Daughter #3 has a Chromebook with a broken keyboard. We will build . . . a Franken-Book by merging them together. Bwa ha ha.

  This year, after 40 years of huge conferences, the ISTE conference will be held virtually. During last week's board meeting, we board members got a sneak peek of the platform they would be using.  We were blown away. The sessions are clearly laid out, there are clear places for gathering materials, networking with the presenters and other participants in each session, and so much more. For those of you who know the Vendor Halls at these conferences, it can take days to visit the vendors much less FIND the ones you want to see. In this platform, you can chat online with the vendors after watching their brief demo, watch interactive displays that are held LIVE throughout the conference, and even walk away with some cool things. The only things missing are the cool collectible pens, the stress balls, the little snacks, and the sore feet. We will be testing out the new system on a micro-conference, the Creative Constructor Lab (CCL) in early October.

  EMU offers all students Microsoft Office (various versions) for free. Here is the information you need to know: Microsoft Office Personal Use  - The University's campus license also allows students, faculty, and staff to install Microsoft Office (Windows, Mac, and mobile device versions) at no cost. To obtain the software, login to  https://portal.office.com  using your EMU email address  ( username @emich.edu)  and NetID password and then follow the instructions on the page to download and install the application.  

Later this semester, I will introduce my students to Edutopia and their regular newsletter to teachers. What a treat to find out this morning that you can receive a version of Edutopia tailored closer to your own teaching grade. Right now the personalization is limited to Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School, and High School. I would jump on in and subscribe now (for free) and add this tool to your Professional Learning Network.

  In Music Education, especially in elementary school, games are used constantly to explore musical techniques, tonalities, and more. More music teachers have begun to incorporate technological games into their classrooms as students have gained more access to technology. Most notably students utilize technology-based games for note reading. As a private lesson instructor, I currently use a note reading game to further my student’s understanding of how to read music. This allows me to evaluate student success and they become more engaged in the learning process. https://www.teachingideas.co.uk/notation/name-that-note