 Every day, we see students struggle with how to mindfully manage the potential and power of their digital devices. With our TechforEd initiative, and other 1:1 school programs, it’s become obvious that students need time to examine the consequences of their online activity. Here are some reasons why educators should take the lead in promoting digital citizenship curriculum inside their classroom and some helpful resources for how to implement.
The number one concern we hear from teachers across our district is related to inappropriate use of technology by students in the classroom. With our TechforEd initiative, we knew we would need to provide instruction and guidance for staff and students around this topic. Jeffco’s Digital Citizenship scope and sequence and associated supports are built on Common Sense Media’s research based curriculum. This school year, resources are released monthly to schools and include lessons, activities, reading materials and family communication. If you are new to Digital Citizenship, these free resources are a great way to engage your students. 2. Incessant multitasking |
| If we want students to thrive in the digital world, they must be taught and have time to practice sustained attention. This is not a new practice, but urgent in the current environment. In the classroom, we can (and should) offer students incentives to engage in undistracted learning on their devices. 1. Time their engagement ex: if students are on task for __ minutes, they get 2 minutes of YouTube 2. Create more engaging digital tasks. ex: Create slideshows in Pear Deck, allowing for digital interaction with the content 3. Give students choice in how they show they learning. ex: a typed essay, a Google site, a WeVideo, a podcast using Soundtrap, a digital poster using Google Drawings or Boardbuilder in Discovery Education |
3. We are more apt to search the intranet than visit a library to research |  |
One of the most empowering elements of digital media is the opportunity to learn anything, anytime, anywhere. Evaluating and citing sources has long been a skill that educators have guided students through. Now, more than ever, this skill is needed and, luckily, we know how to teach it! Teaching digital literacy empowers students with the skills and understanding necessary to not only use internet and technology to their benefit, but use it in the most effective ways to quickly find information and utilize the ever expanding list of sites and means of communication at their disposal.
 | 4. Digital wellness is a mounting concern |
With the rising concerns of technology addiction, isolation, and depression in children comes the need for more personal interaction. According to Common Sense Media, “the line between healthy and harmful (digital) use varies person to person and context to context (with evidence showing that already vulnerable teens, for instance, are more likely to exhibit unhealthy use of media), and research shows both positive and negative impacts of everything from social media to games”. As educators, we understand that our content is not the most important thing. Building relationships that provide a safe classroom community is the first thing we do with our students, because we know that feelings often trump learning. We can use this same philosophy when thinking about digital wellness. We must build digital wellness supports into our 1:1 classrooms. Talking with students about what media balance means to them and making screen time limit goals around their personal needs is a good way to build awareness. One school is Columbus, Ohio created a Digital Wellness Month. Giving students a voice in determining what is “healthy” rather than mandating arbitrary screen time restrictions creates more buy-in.
| Educators tend to have two major assumptions. First, we assume that as digital natives, there is no need for teaching students how to use technology. Second, technology comes in many forms and we tend to lump it all together. In reality, the quality of the tools and devices matters. Remember creation vs. consumption. Engaging with an educational app (like Book Creator) for one hour per day is far more valuable than something that provides entertainment. | If you want planning support or more grade level examples, please reach out to your school’s Digital Teacher Librarian or Ed Tech Specialist. FREE Digital Citizenship resources for educators: Common Sense Media Be Internet Awesome TechforEd |
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This blog post is by Tracy Peronard, a math teacher at Dakota Ridge High School. She has had a fascinating career track and shares some amazing insights into how Book Creator can be used for creative instruction and to set examples for students when using Jeffco Digital Tools.
Tracy has been teaching in Jeffco for nine years, eight of which have been at Dakota Ridge. She is from Atlanta, GA. and has a BS in Management from Georgia Tech. Tracy also completed a post-baccalaureate program at Georgia State University in Secondary Mathematics Education and is working to finish her Masters in Mathematics in the fall. Tracy and her husband moved to Littleton, CO. in 1998 where she was a stay at home mom for the first few years. In 2001, she went to work for the Lakewood Police Department as an Investigative Technician. She then left the LPD in 2010 and returned to the classroom. Her son graduated from Dakota Ridge in 2011 and her daughter graduated from Lakewood High School in 2014. She likes to run, play soccer, and go to the gym.
Tracy currently teaches trigonometry and Integrated Math 3. The Math 3 class is comprised entirely of juniors who are working on a math Capstone Project to fulfill the new graduation requirement. Tracy uses technology almost everyday in her math classroom. Thank you Tracy for sharing your expertise with us!
Tracy has been teaching in Jeffco for nine years, eight of which have been at Dakota Ridge. She is from Atlanta, GA. and has a BS in Management from Georgia Tech. Tracy also completed a post-baccalaureate program at Georgia State University in Secondary Mathematics Education and is working to finish her Masters in Mathematics in the fall. Tracy and her husband moved to Littleton, CO. in 1998 where she was a stay at home mom for the first few years. In 2001, she went to work for the Lakewood Police Department as an Investigative Technician. She then left the LPD in 2010 and returned to the classroom. Her son graduated from Dakota Ridge in 2011 and her daughter graduated from Lakewood High School in 2014. She likes to run, play soccer, and go to the gym.
Tracy currently teaches trigonometry and Integrated Math 3. The Math 3 class is comprised entirely of juniors who are working on a math Capstone Project to fulfill the new graduation requirement. Tracy uses technology almost everyday in her math classroom. Thank you Tracy for sharing your expertise with us!
Dakota Ridge High School went 1:1 three years ago. I was excited that my students would each have a device of their own. I dove head first into the technology pool. Despite a lot of groaning from my geometry students, I had them use Geogebra for many tasks that once had been paper and pencil lessons and activities. By the end of the first six weeks, most students were able to successfully use the technology that I presented to them. Through Google Classroom, I provided links to various resources for my students. Since Chromebooks were new for both myself and my students, there were some bumps along the way. My students let me know what was good and more importantly what was bad.
This school year, I started teaching Trigonometry. The school has a set of books that the students can use in the classroom but the students cannot take the textbooks home. I saw students taking pictures of problem sets from the book. They did not take pictures of any of the examples, definitions, or formulas. I also noticed that students rarely used the textbook if they had access to the material electronically.
Nick Steinmetz (Jeffco Ed Tech Specialist) and our DTL Robin Luster, did professional development training at the start of this school year that included a brief overview of the new digital tools that were available throughout Jeffco. Book Creator was one of those tools. Initially, I was not interested. Nick used the example of English teachers using Book Creator; and I thought how fun it would be to have my math students write pages of a math book. From that "aha" moment came a spark. What if I wrote a book for my students?
This school year, I started teaching Trigonometry. The school has a set of books that the students can use in the classroom but the students cannot take the textbooks home. I saw students taking pictures of problem sets from the book. They did not take pictures of any of the examples, definitions, or formulas. I also noticed that students rarely used the textbook if they had access to the material electronically.
Nick Steinmetz (Jeffco Ed Tech Specialist) and our DTL Robin Luster, did professional development training at the start of this school year that included a brief overview of the new digital tools that were available throughout Jeffco. Book Creator was one of those tools. Initially, I was not interested. Nick used the example of English teachers using Book Creator; and I thought how fun it would be to have my math students write pages of a math book. From that "aha" moment came a spark. What if I wrote a book for my students?
Trigonometry is a one semester class. The first unit covers some topics that I taught my Honors Geometry students. I knew that I had some electronic resources that I wanted to share with my students; so I decided that I would write a book for this first unit. I worried that the book might flop, but I had not invested a lot of time writing a book covering only one unit. I decided not to start Unit 2 until I had feedback from the students.
The best part about writing an eBook is that you can include links to Geogebra activities, Khan Academy practice problems, and my own videos showing how to do select problems. The other advantage to putting all the resources into a book was that students did not have to search Google Classroom to find one old video or link. I watched a YouTube video to learn more about how to use Book Creator, then I started writing.
This is a snapshot from the Unit 1 book. It has a link to a Geogebra activity and an example video about Coterminal Angles.
This is a snapshot from the Unit 1 book. It has a link to a Geogebra activity and an example video about Coterminal Angles.
Like all new tools, there was a learning curve. I clicked on every button to see what would happen. Sometimes, I discovered things by accident. The first few pages were slow, but by the time I had written the material for the first lesson, I felt fairly competent. I was hooked. I worked on the book on and off for a few days before school started. Once it was complete, I was proud of myself.
It did not matter how enamored I was of the Trigonometry Unit 1 book, because the true test was whether or not the students found value in it. I put a link to the book on Google Classroom and told the students that it was there. Not only did the book contain the Google Slides presentation that I would use in class but it had so much more, including homework for each lesson. Below is the Google Classroom post I showed my students when I introduced them to the book.
It did not matter how enamored I was of the Trigonometry Unit 1 book, because the true test was whether or not the students found value in it. I put a link to the book on Google Classroom and told the students that it was there. Not only did the book contain the Google Slides presentation that I would use in class but it had so much more, including homework for each lesson. Below is the Google Classroom post I showed my students when I introduced them to the book.
When it was time for the first test, the book became a valued resource to some of the students. I knew that some students would not use it, but my hope was that a few students would. Much to my delight, I had students ask if I was going to write a book for the next unit. That was all I wanted to hear. You can see the Unit 1 book here.
Since the first book, I have written one for each unit of Trigonometry and they have been easy to revise. The students like the interactivity of the book and students who want to work ahead now have a resource available so they can be self-paced. I use the same language when I talk in class as what is written. The two biggest sells for writing an eBook are that I am not trying to fit my way of teaching to a textbook that is 20 years old; and that I am presenting material to my students in a format that is tailored to their way of learning.
Exciting developments in the Jeffco EdTech world! We have been hard at work compiling and curating new and improved content for our YouTube channel. These new playlists are directly aligned to many of Jeffco’s Eight Digital Tools (Book Creator and DiscoveryEd content is coming soon!) These handy playlists briefly go over commonly used functions and provide step-by-step guidance on how to access and use features. Someone having trouble with how to create a PearDeck? There’s a playlist for that! WeVideo collaboration and creation? There are videos for that! These playlists (and our channel as a whole) are constantly growing, so subscribe if you haven’t already, to get updates!
Here are the current playlists. Please share this resource with your staff and fellow teachers!
EquatIO
Pear Deck
Read&Write for Google
Seesaw
Soundtrap
WeVideo
We’re constantly working to make this a better resource. Please reach out to your EdTech Specialist if you have ideas for videos or questions that aren’t answered with the current video offerings.
Here are the current playlists. Please share this resource with your staff and fellow teachers!
EquatIO
Pear Deck
Read&Write for Google
Seesaw
Soundtrap
WeVideo
We’re constantly working to make this a better resource. Please reach out to your EdTech Specialist if you have ideas for videos or questions that aren’t answered with the current video offerings.
Innovating with Google keep in the math classroom
LEARN MORE
G Suite Learning Center: Google Keep - goo.gl/AMAbXb
EquatIO for Google- goo.gl/NYrzj2
Convert PDF and Photo Files to Text - goo.gl/L8UQN9
G Suite Learning Center: Google Keep - goo.gl/AMAbXb
EquatIO for Google- goo.gl/NYrzj2
Convert PDF and Photo Files to Text - goo.gl/L8UQN9
Staff Personal Accounts on ChromeBooks
Staff members have the rights to switch to personal accounts on district Chromebooks. They must log into the Chromebook with their district account but can then add a personal account to access certain resources. This process looks different on Chrome 78 than it has in the past. Please see this document for support.
History Settings on accounts
Although it appears that students can toggle off the ability to save their browing history in their individual Chrome settings, this is not the case. You will notice that the individual check boxes cannot be selected for our domain. The district is able to override these settings in Jeffco's Google Admin Console, which stores student browsing history in Vault.
Less Secure Apps
Many people connect 3rd party apps through Google, giving those apps permission to the user's G Suite Data. Google is beginning to limit the ability for less secure apps (LSAs) to access that data, so that the user's account is less susceptible to hijacking. As this change is occurring, we are finding that some vendors are not choosing to make the necessary security updates and are choosing to discontinue their products. If you are experiencing difficulty using Google to log into 3rd party tools, outside Jeffco's 8 Digital tools, please reach out to the vendor for support.
Chromebook Tips & Tricks
Check out some of the neat features available on Chromebooks!
Last Friday, Jeffco Ed Tech, in partnership with EdTechTeam Inc., hosted an amazing day of technology integration learning. This was a highly engaging day where sessions were tailored to support the TechforEd digital tools that Jeffco recently purchased for all students and teachers. Learning sessions were targeted around Jeffco’s 8 digital tools: Discovery Education, Pear Deck, WeVideo, Soundtrap, Google apps, Read&Write, Equatio and Seesaw. Rachel McKenzie, the DTL at Governor’s Ranch, stated, “I appreciated having time dedicated to learn and practice with our new digital tools!”
The day began with the fabulous keynote speaker and digital literacy consultant, Kim Polllishuke (@KimPollishuke) Kim came all the way from Toronto and is the host of the Shukes & Giffs podcast. Carly Moats, a district P3 Instructional Specialist, commented, “The self-empowering tone of Kim Pollishuke's keynote started the day of learning on the right foot! Simple reminders such as, find value in the struggle and get out of your own way offered all participants an entry point for their learning within the diverse sessions.”
| Four amazing Google Innovators led sessions throughout the day. Burt Lo (@trubol) came from the Modesto area where he is Director of Digital Curriculum & Instructional Technology. John Stevens (@jstevens009) is a math teacher from Southern California who is an author and hosts the website WouldYouRatherMath.com. Kim Randall (@scubagirl810) is a teacher and a co-author of Bring the World to Your Classroom: Using Google Geo Tools. Christy Yacano, DTL at Sierra Elementary, said, “The session leaders were insightful with new innovative ideas to use the Jeffco-purchased tools with kids that are engaging and promote deeper learning.” |  |
Jeffco’s Ed Tech department was able to partner with EdTechTeam Inc. to bring this free event to our district through a promotional offer from Google. This complementary offer was made available through Jeffco’s purchase of Chromebooks for the TechforEd initiative. Thank you to our Jeffco voters for passing 5A in 2018, which has made the TechforEd initiative possible! We would also like to thank Green Mountain High School for providing the space and custodial staff for us to host this event. We are thankful for the partners we have in our wonderful Jeffco schools!
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