January 15th

Google Docs assignment by Kevin - Create the assignment on docs with the instructions and get a shareable link and share it with the kids. They must use their school account that way to use it. Make sure it is view only.

To begin the assignment Kevin posted the link on Edmodo then the kids can look, open it and save it to docs. They can then work in it and share it back to teacher with edit permission so he can mark there.

Students open a Doc and Title it - name class

Give a classmate in your Kagan group comment permission.

When they are finished they add - I’m done

When marked, teacher change title to marked.

It tracks the dates they worked on it, revision history.

3-D applications - I have been exploring various software for use with 3-D printers. I have been looking at linking them to geometry, angles and reductive as well as additive sculpting. If anyone is interested, I can fill you in.

Google Classroom - we had a discussion around this and if there were differences between it and Edmodo. It does connect nicely with Google docs, it would be easier with passwords and only logging on with one place. Would love to hear more from other who are using it.

Edmodo - parents are finally seeming to get it, kids are checking it.

We would like to do a set session on some of the Google things and are looking for folks who would like to share. I want to explore Google Forms further, any sharers?

January 8th - Screencast-o-matic; editing with google docs and read/write google; Audible and Dictation

Today was our first unscheduled meeting of computers and check. I had my weeks confused I'll still meet next week too but today it was just myself Kevin and Brooke.

Screencast-o-matic  

Myself and some of the other art teachers have been looking at how to record our lessons for when we have substitute. Kevin has been using this in his class for his app development elective. 

Using screencast-o-matic students are able to learn at their own pace by listening to Kevin instructions while watching what he's doing on the screen and they're able to pause playback whatever they need until they understand. 

This was a very simple looking program to use it's downloadable or you can use it online and it gives you options but is very straightforward I think it's definitely something I'll play with.

Google Docs and Read/Write Google  

In read/Write, students are able to use the playback feature to listen to their writing . This often helps the student identify where they are missing words missing punctuation, or have awkward sentences. They have almost all the features here as in read write gold . Also in Google Docs, are the teacher I can go in and comment, edit, suggest and leave voice notes for a student. Students have told me this is very helpful and they've noticed or I've noticed their quality of writing vastly improve.

Audible 
Brooke shared about audible, available through Amazon. It is all audio books and a huge benefit to students who have difficulty with novel reading. Brooke is able to download the book for the student and during class they can listen to the novel as they follow along reading. This way they're able to hear the tone and inflection while following along with their fingers . it's $15 for a monthly subscription or you have to pay per book it's a good thing to suggest to parents.

Dictation 
Another great feature through Google is the dictation app I just looked it up and tried it. This is my first try. I've done this entire blog entry simply by talking none of it was typed it's found in the Google app store. My new best friend for comment writing!

Our First Meeting

Okay I have decided to host the First meeting of Computers and Chow on the 15th of January in the Art Room at Lunch Recess.

I will provide something yummy for us to munch on if you let me know you are coming. I hope someone will come and share something. :)

The Hopeful Beginnings of Computes and Chow

    I basically am starting this because I went to a PD... I heard them speak about sharing ideas and lessons, in a very casual way, that used tech. 

 A group of teachers, whoever wanted to come, just met up at lunch and ate and shared what they were doing and how it worked, what they learned, what they wanted to know. I thought this sounded like a great idea. 

I know we are all doing things in our classes right now.
I know that we have all had success and failure. 
I know that we have all seen or heard of something we would like to try but don't know where to go or how to start. 

Wouldn't it be great if we could actually talk to each other and know where to go and who to ask where we work! 

I am hoping that if I begin to host computers and chow at recess that people will come and eat food I bring them... so I don't eat it all... and that this is a good thing. 

Fingers crossed... first I have to figure out how to invite you all to a blog.
Then I will put up the things that are shared over lunches so we have human resources of computer knowledge to go to... besides Kevin...

I will let you all know the dates sometime in January.