Mark Salzer – Page 25 – P-CCSK12 Tech

Registration closing soon for free virtual courses offered by REMC in May

For those interested, there’s still time to enroll in a free REMC Virtual Course and earn 10 free SCECHs. To see a description of the courses offered and to register, visit https://mailchi.mp/71fc6deb90f9/theres-still-time-to-sign-up-for-our-free-virtual-learning-courses-3686790?e=67db2526b4

May courses begin on Monday, May 4. The deadline for registration is Friday, May 1. Eleven courses are offered (see list below). Each course is open for three weeks and consists of two (2) one-hour “live” webinars that are recorded and available for viewing later, and eight (8) hours of resource review, assessment developments and written reflection.

Kaizena feedback-laden Google add-on tool is now installed

Kaizena, another tool (apart from Read&Write for Google) for staff to provide feedback to students within various Google apps, is now installed and available for staff and student use when logged into their Google accounts. Kaziena helps students, teachers, and administrators provide effective and relevant feedback for diverse learners. Its features include: text comments, voice comments, lessons (small micro-units of learning), and skills and rubrics.

Information and videos on getting started and using the add-on can be found at https://help.kaizena.com/en/collections/60518-kaizena-for-google-docs

Easy to associate micro lessons, another feature of the add-on, are described at https://www.kaizena.com/features/lessons

Below are a 2 minute overview video and one that showcases the feedback options:

Email Safety Tips slides

As the use of online communication has increased for so many of us, here are some email safety tips/reminders in visual form.

Both MACUL and MDE offer Guidelines for Helping Classroom Teachers Transition to Online Learning

The Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) has composed and shared useful guidelines around supportive considerations in a successful transition to online learning. Please browse to https://macul.org/online-learning-guidelines/ to check them out.

The Michigan Dept of Ed’s (MDE) Learning at a DISTANCE Guidance is billed as [a] largely teacher-written effort to help address the immediate needs of staff who must address the immediate needs of children – at a distance – during a pandemic.

District Windows laptops with blue alert box

If you have a district laptop, at some point before the school year ends, you may see a blue alert window declaring Your Windows license will expire soon; You need to activate Windows in settings. There is no need to panic.

To reset your license for another 180 days of use, when convenient within two weeks of first seeing that warning, head to any district building with your laptop. You don’t need to actually enter the building, you just need to be close enough to have the laptop connect to the district Wi-Fi. It’s even possible at some of our locations to remain in your car and still be close enough to get a signal. While remaining connected to the district Wi-Fi (either PCCSK12- Secure or PCCSK12-Staff), completely restart the laptop, then log into it and make sure it completes the log in process. Surf somewhere to confirm that you remained connected. Doing this should suffice to reset the license counter for months and you’re good to leave, mission accomplished.

If you still cannot get the alert to go away after doing the above, please submit a service ticket and our department can assist you with other steps to take.

A couple of upcoming GSuite features to note

Available soon, it will be possible to create and use multiple signatures in Gmail as well as fix images to a certain location on a page in Google Docs.

For more on creating and using multiple signatures, visit here (and check out what it looks like in the gif below).

For more on fixing images to a certain location on a page in Google Docs, visit here (and check out what it looks like below).

Fixed image in Google Doc — Fixed image in a Google doc

Registration now open for free virtual courses offered by REMC in April

Springtime is finally here! For those interested, it’s time to enroll in a free REMC Virtual Course and earn 10 free SCECHs. To see a description of the courses offered and to register, visit https://www.remc.org/Core/News/Article/1337.

April 2020 Course Information
April courses begin on Monday, April 6. The deadline for registration is Friday, April 3.

A word about our classroom soundfield systems

We have about a thousand classrooms that have speakers installed in their ceilings and our department still occasionally finds it valuable to reiterate some points about them and promote system use in general.

First, both of the soundfield amplification systems deployed (TeachLogic at the elementary and Lightspeed at the secondary) are meant to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and spatially amplify our teachers’ voices (or teacher determined sound sources) above the ambient noise in our classrooms through speaker distribution. However, the system is designed not so a teacher should expect they will be able to hear themselves be louder, but rather that their voice should be heard at the same level further away from themselves. Our amplification systems can help facilitate an even spread of sound (that a teacher has chosen, via a source such as a microphone or laptop) around a classroom. If you’re hearing screeching or other feedback, try dialing back your volume control — it is probably set too high.

Second, please note that classroom amplification can benefit ALL children, not just those with severe-profound hearing losses. Other groups shown to benefit from amplification include: children with minimal or unilateral hearing loss, children with transient hearing loss due to ear infections, children with ADD/ADHD, English language learners, and students in the general population! Research studies over the last forty years uniformly have found academic (enhanced student speech perception, improved attention and comprehension, etc) and social (calmer environments, reduced teacher vocal abuse, etc) benefits from consistent and persistent system use.

Third, our soundfields are only useful when they are being used! So please have our systems on and wear/use your mics.

iKeepSafe – Free Student Data Privacy Online Courses for Educators

The Michigan Department of Education has partnered with EduPaths, Michigan’s FREE online professional development portal for educators, and the Internet Keep Safe Coalition (iKeepSafe) to bring four online courses centered around student data privacy to Michigan Educators. The courses cover the necessary information all educators must know in order to keep student data safe in an increasingly digital learning environment, including educators’ legal requirements related to student data privacy.

The iKeepSafe courses are 30 minutes each and self-paced, allowing educators to enroll and complete the courses at a convenient time and place. FREE SCECHs are also available for the courses through EduPaths.

All Michigan educators can create a free account on EduPaths and access the courses at the links below:

Register for free March Virtual Courses by Friday 2/28

You’re in Luck ☘ REMC’s Virtual Courses are free & offer 10 free SCECHs

REMC’s Virtual Courses make it easy to keep up with your professional learning. These courses offer an easy, convenient way for teachers to connect and collaborate while reducing time and cost. Their courses are available throughout the school year and are open to all Michigan school personnel. Best of all, their courses are *free* and offer free 10 SCECHs when completed.

Nine courses are offered in March. Each course is open for three weeks and consists of two (2) one-hour “live” webinars that are recorded and available for viewing later and eight (8) hours of resource review, assessment developments and written reflection. All REMC courses are open to all Michigan school personnel. There are no registration or SCECH fees because REMC SAVE partners provide support for all REMC Professional Learning opportunities.

REGISTER NOW

March 2020 Course Information

March courses begin on Monday, March 2. The deadline for registration is Friday, February 28.

Courses descriptions are provided below. If you have questions or need further assistance with your course registration, please contact the REMC Event Coordinator.

March Course Descriptions

Enhancing Instruction For All Learners
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Address diverse student learning needs with technology integration.
1. Identify basic principles of universal design, differentiated instruction and best practice teaching strategies to enhance existing or new lessons or classroom activities.
2. Apply these strategies using technology integration to improve learning.
3. Learn to find and use interactive learning activities to address a variety of learning styles.
Address learning barriers and support learners using technology tools.

Making the Most of Your Google Classroom
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Google Classroom is an easy way to organize and distribute your classroom assignments. You can even share documents through Classroom and create a two-way conversation between you and your students. Learn all the ins and outs of Google Classroom and the many ways you can integrate multiple applications into Google Classroom. (e.g., Geogebra, Discovery, Flipgrid, edPuzzle, etc.) Learn how to add and grade assignments, post daily warms up, add parents and guardians, and much more!

Searching Safely and Strategically
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
It has become essential for teachers and students to know how to search safely and efficiently to retrieve reliable information. The course provides educational database links to safe, accurate sites. Participants will also learn to evaluate information from the internet to determine their authenticity. Participants will also leave with a good grasp of what is available in Michigan eLibrary; FREE resources for every resident in Michigan.

Authentic Student Learning and Gamification
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Explore the many elements of game mechanics that can also be used for classroom instruction! Examine the purpose and use of Gamification and Game-Based Learning. Uncover how Gamification and Game-Based Learning provide rich, unique experiences for student learning. The course itself models the Gamification style so participants will gain deep Gamification experience as well as experience in games that reflect the Game-Based Learning approach.

OER to Support Competency-Based Education (CBE)
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Open Educational Resources (OER) are free, high quality, openly licensed educational tools that can be retained, reused, revised, remixed, and redistributed. This course will allow participants to learn about, explore, and implement OERs to support competency-based education (CBE). Competency-Based Education helps educators transition to a structure that personalizes education for students by creating flexibility and allowing students to progress through content by demonstrating mastery, rather than relying on seat time. CBE incorporates elements of flexible time, place, and pace while enhancing student agency through choice, voice, and authenticity.

Leading a Culture of Change in your School
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Explore the essential needs of Leadership and Culture. This course is designed for school, district, and teacher leaders who wish to implement a change effort in their school or schools. Leaders is a broad category and can include coaches, teachers, technology specialists, aspiring leaders, or others interested in supporting school change. This course will focus on technology initiatives and other ideas that incorporate change.

Google: Applying Google Apps for Education in Chrome, Level 1
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Google Apps for Education provides educators with an expansive repertoire of tools for empowering students and managing instruction. This course starts with the basics including how to create documents and share them with students, colleagues or parents. Participants will:

Understand the different sharing options that are available.
Learn how to navigate the Chrome Web Store to find and install apps that meet the needs of your students.
Install, explore and utilize new Google Apps and/or Chrome extensions that enable teachers to leverage the impact that technology integration and Chromebooks can have in their classrooms.
Realize the transformation these tools can have on teaching and learning when access to information is seamless and ongoing, not confined to the school day or classroom.

A Practical Guide to Global Success Skills in the Classroom for the 21st Century and Beyond
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Global Success Skills (GSS) are critical to student development to ensure students can successfully navigate college and career opportunities. A 2016 survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employees (NACE) identified a high need for entry-level students and employees to have practical skills in the following areas: leadership, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. This course provides an in-depth understanding the Global Success Skills. Learn how to apply the skills in classroom instruction and professional growth lessons. Personalize learning experience by choosing areas to explore using the tools provided in class.

Social Media: Improve Student Critical Thinking and Collaboration, Level 2
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Examine how social media tools can be used to support deeper student learning. In this course, collaboration and critical thinking are components of a rich academic experience. Explore how “any” social media tool can play an essential role through Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition (SAMR) Level 3 and Depths of Knowledge (DoK). Choose from a variety of tools to investigate and design a collaborative learning experience that encourages students to develop critical thinking. The final assignment can be customized for a variety of classroom learning experiences.

Author: Mark Salzer