Students in this class also use the recording/video features to share their thinking and learning. Emily finds student recordings the most exciting feature of Seesaw, “I like how I can tell what students are thinking one by one. I can watch their videos at a later time and make adjustments to instruction and developing groups.I do this on an almost daily basis to pull groups for phonics differentiated lessons.”  
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Within Seesaw, students also share videos and comment on one another’s work. Another feature that Emily has found helpful is the Seesaw Digital Citizenship printable posters. “I teach students how to give purposeful comments that are specific to work. They can give positive feedback or comments using the sentence starters I found on Seesaw.”​

This is not just an elementary/primary tool. Secondary classroom can use Seesaw too. Checkout this video to see the possibilities! Consider getting families connected to your class and print out invites for upcoming conferences by  watching this video. The Jeffco EdTech team has put together this text set to help you learn independently or feel free to reach out to your EdTech specialist for school-based learning or questions.  

​Check out other helpful videos on their full YouTube channel

Access the toolbar by clicking on the extension next to your Chrome address bar. 
​Use the PDF reader extension in a PDF.
​Use the R&W extension in the GSuite or on websites.
Because Jeffco students and staff have the premium version, all of the toolbar features are functional!

With "Jeffcoized" video tutorials and Tech Tips

Ed Tech is hosting a session on Read&Write for Google on 
​Tuesday October 8th from 4-5:30 pm at the Jeffco Ed Center 2A
OR
​Contact your Ed Tech Specialist

WeVideo is one of the core digital tools for staff and students in Jeffco this year. As a result, students and staff have access to a wide range of opportunities to engage in deeper learning activities that personalize and authenticate learning through film and multimedia. Getting started with WeVideo is fairly straight forward and there are plenty of resources such as the WeVideo MMTS to help you get started. (Click on the image below to open the MMTS and start exploring.) However, getting started with using film creation and WeVideo for authentic tasks can be a little more challenging. Here we hope to provide a few ideas and inspirations to help you get started. 

Capturing and creating videos as part of instruction can seem daunting at first however, it's doesn't need to be a complicated process. One approach is to begin with photo stories. Challenging students to capture or collect photos that tell a specific story and compiling those photos together with a narrative or background music allows us to practice compiling stories and using video editing tools. Photo stories can be about academic content such as a historical time period, scientific or mathematical processes, or about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They can also be about personal things such as our daily journey to school or our family history. Everyone has different perspectives so our photo stories can be shared to deepen the learning and understandings.

One of the biggest challenges to using technology in classrooms is to ensure it is not a distraction from the larger goals of learning and content mastery. A great way to begin addressing these challenges is to empower students to lead their own learning. As students gain foundational understandings of content, they can be challenged with application of the content and creating products to share their learning and additional understandings. For example in mathematics, we often ask students to memorize key facts and processes but seldom challenge them with application and sharing of the learning. We can empower students to lead their learning by asking them to look for examples in their lives where they can apply the content they're learning and capture those applications to tell their stories. With this challenge, students gain deeper understandings of why content is needed and ways in which it fits into their worlds. Students can then share their creative stories of content application with each other, another class, or students at another school, which leads to deeper learning of the content. 

One of the essential skills across many content areas involves the ability to effectively conduct research and compile our findings so we can form argumentative or persuasive claims. As humans, we regularly find ourselves in situations where multiple views are represented and the need to understand and respond respectfully to others is a foundational aspect of any democracy. As students conduct research and capture evidence that supports their claims, they can put together short films with photos or video clips to support their stance. When sharing with each other, students have access to practice listening and summarizing skills that lead can lead to civic and global engagement or the continued development of communication skills necessary to succeed in settings beyond the classroom. 

Teachers are experts at creating links between outcomes and learning which drives us all to the continuous search for new ideas and strategies. Here are a few tips to consider as you begin to design learning opportunities involving film and multimedia: 

1. ​Keep it short. No one likes to watch lengthy films unless they are coming from Hollywood or experienced film makers. The most difficult films to make are often the shortest ones because getting content that tells a great story into small time frames is challenging. Limit the films to minutes at most to keep them interesting, anything over a few minutes is far too long and students won't want to watch them. A great place to start is 60 seconds or less and work up from there. 
2. Don't forget the planning. Great films aren't just put together on a whim, they often involve months if not years of planning and revising. Setting goals and involving planning processes such as outlining, drafting, storyboarding, and deadlines, are essential to creating films that will captivate an audience. Editing and revising are also essential components that need not be forgotten. It's critically important that students understand how planning and revising are components of all processes we engage in. 
3. Group work is easier.  It's rare to see people doing great things alone, there are often multiple people involved. Providing students opportunities to work in groups when creating films will make outcomes more attainable and lead to better products. Group work also provides opportunities to develop collaboration skills. Working with others is essential to success in any environment and students need practice. Getting captures worthy of being involved in a final film product takes time and work and it's much easier to have multiple people capturing different things. This provides options for choice and the more we have to choose from the better the final product will be. Lastly, sometimes there is a need for a camera person, a director, or an editor, and working in groups makes all of these roles easier to fill as students learn to collaborate together. 
4. Portions of the work needs to extend beyond the classroom. Capturing for film should always be done outside of a classroom. Students see their classrooms everyday so capturing them is certainly no novelty. Classroom time can be used for planning, revising, and compiling however, much of film work will take place beyond the wall or outside the school. This can be a replacement for homework but shouldn't be called homework. The term "homework" has many negative connotations so terms such as capturing or filming can be used instead. Students often love to use their phones (or their parents phones) outside of school and the purpose of capturing for films makes the use of their phones interesting and purposeful, as well as, authentic. Rather than spending time scrolling through social media feeds or messaging with friends, students can find joy and purpose in figuring out ways they want to tell their stories. 
5. Celebrate the successes and challenges. There will be many successes but there will also be many challenges and celebrating both will help students want to continue honing their film skills. When students realize they didn't get the capture they wanted or something is missing, they will face opportunities to reflect and create new practices so they avoid those situations in the future. Call it building resilience, learning from our mistakes, or something else, these opportunities are priceless moments for growth and they need to be celebrated. The first film products might be a little rough around the edges but what are the areas of growth and the new learning that comes from those final products? Students will excel if we allow them time and space to reflect on their work and identify what they will do differently in the future. 
6. Don't forget about the laws. With film and multimedia come a wide range of copyright laws and it's important to know what is permissible and what is forbidden. There are plenty of royalty free options for music and images and helping students understand where to find them is useful. A great resource to help you with finding them is your DTL (Digital Teacher Librarian), they have expertise that is invaluable in these areas. We have some increased rights for using multimedia when it comes to education however, as students become more engaged in capturing and sharing their learning, it will be vital for them to understand where the lines are drawn in regards to copyrights. It's also important for them to understand so they can protect their own work as they grow into more experienced film makers. Ultimately, it's a great lesson in citizenship and ethics that will help them throughout their entire lives.
7. Look for ways to authentically challenge your students. There are a variety of options for students to begin engaging in authentic challenges when it comes to film. The Denver Film Festival has created opportunities for high school students to be a part of the festival each year by attending the festival for a day and being involved in a film competition if they so choose. You can register a group of students to attend this year's festival for free by visiting this link. At the festival, students have opportunities to engage with professionals in the industry to learn tips and tricks, as well as, possible careers in film. If you would like more information about the Denver Film Festival opportunities, contact Nick Steinmetz (nick.steinmetz@jeffco.k12.co.us). Digital Promise also has a great FilmMAKER Challenge and 360 Degree Filmmakers Challenge for students. Check out some of the student film products on the Digital Promise Student Film page or share them with your students to provide inspiring looks at how other students around the world are sharing their learning through film. 

Back in July, Teach Thought published a short piece on 6 Powerful Strategies for Deeper Learning in Your Classroom by Dr. Monica Martinez who is one of the leading experts on deeper learning. These 6 strategies are a great way to get students engaged in learning that involves their passions and interests. Film creation can be used in a variety of ways to implement and achieve all 6 strategies. As students are challenged to create films demonstrating their knowledge and understandings, they are provided additional opportunities to share their learning. Not every film needs to be publicly shared, there might be some short films that are simple reflections allowing us to go back and revisit some of the learnings we gained. Think of them more as selfie videos that are for the purpose of journaling or compiling a personal narrative. Ultimately, remembering the last strategy of "Making Technology the Servant, Not the Master" will help us leverage the power of film in more ways. As we use technology to capture and tell stories rather than consume them, we will be the masters of the digital tools we use and the time in front of a screen will have far greater purpose and outcomes. 

Looking for more ideas on how to use film in your instruction? The WeVideo blog is a great place to find ideas and examples. 

Google has delayed their full transition to Google Hangouts Chat. For now, both Hangouts and Hangouts Chat are available in Jeffco. Below are a few helpful tips and tricks to help you navigate the change.

Hangouts Chats vs. Classic Hangouts

• If you currently send a message to a single person in Classic Hangouts, it will appear in your Hangouts Chat (and vice versa).
• If you send a group message in Classic Hangouts (multiple people) it will not appear in Hangouts Chat (and vice versa). Chat room message from Hangouts Chat will also not transfer to Classic Hangouts. So, if you are running off of Classic Hangouts or Hangouts Chat alone, you might be missing some of your group messages.
• Classic Hangouts used to function as an extension. That means that if you had your web browser open, you would automatically receive Classic Hangout notifications (unless you had the extension muted). With Hangouts Chat, you have to install the desktop app and keep it open. If you close it, you will not receive your notifications.​

​Hangouts Chat: Chat Rooms vs. Direct Messages (DM's)

• There is a difference between direct messages (one or more people) and chat rooms 
• In a chat room, you can thread your messages, similar to Schoology or an actual chat room. New topic = start a new thread.
• Your default notification rules are not set to 'ping' you for all messages. By default, you only get notifications for direct messages and when a new thread is started in a chat room (similar to Schoology). If someone continues to reply to a chat room thread, you will not get the notification, unless you change your settings. To do this, go to settings (cogwheel in top right-hand corner), and change Web/Desktop and Mobile (if using Chat on your phone) to "All Messages. You will now receive notifications for all messages, as long as you have the Hangouts Chat app open.

YouTube has suspended Brand Accounts for educational environments. Brand Accounts allowed users to use certain Google services, like YouTube, with a separate, potentially anonymous identity. Staff brand accounts can be temporarily un-suspended so that videos may be downloaded and saved. Student brand accounts cannot be reactivated. For more information on how to preserve brand account data, and for support on what do do if your account is suspended, please see this support document. Action regarding brand accounts must be taken by October 31st.

Many schools used YouTube Live streaming through Google Hangouts to stream their news broadcasts and other learning opportunities. This functionality has been changed by Google and is no longer available in Jeffco. The current solution is to use YouTube's Webcam Live Stream. You can quickly go live using your computer or Chromebook's built-in webcam. YouTube Webcam also allows the user to schedule future live stream events. Unfortunately, the ability to share your screen, or allow participants to speak in the recording, is no longer an option.  But there is a text chat feature. 

The Colorado EdTechTeam Summit featuring G Suite for Education is coming to Jeffco November 2nd & 3rd at Arvada West High School! See schedule here. ​"With two action-packed days featuring keynote speakers, a mix of 90 and 60-minute sessions, a playground, and a demo slam, you'll have a chance to create and explore new ideas and topics while connecting with other teachers, school, leaders, and world-class speakers. " - EdTechTeam Inc. 

Because Jeffco is hosting the event, we receive special pricing of $249, which includes breakfast and lunch (standard registration is $349)! If registering with a Jeffco accounting string, please use this form. If registering using personal funds, please use this form and connect with your school's 1:1 lead for the promotional code. 

For those considering their Google Certified Educator Level 2 Certificate, the EdTechTeam Inc. is bringing the Level 2 boot camp to Jeffco on Nov. 1st. 

"Google’s Certified Educator Level 2 focuses on meaningful and creative ways to integrate the 4Cs in the classroom. Level 2 teaches the advanced features of G Suite including HyperDocs using Google Docs, Maps and MyMaps for geo-instruction and virtual field trips; digital portfolios with Google Sites; and using screen-casting techniques for developing learning libraries in YouTube and more. Level 2 is the perfect place for teachers who are ready to try something new and engaging in their classrooms all while preparing them for Google’s Certified Educator Level 2 exam." - EdTechTeam Inc.

​This one-day event will be held at 581 Conference Place (cost $199, includes lunch). If registering with a Jeffco accounting string, please use this form. If registering using personal funds, please use this form.

Considering getting your Google Level 1, 2 or Trainer certificate? We offer ESS clock-hour credit for these certifications!

​To get your credit, follow these instructions:

1. Visit the Google Certified Educator Level 1 website. 
2. ​Compete the free Fundamentals Training course.
3. Register and take the Level 1 exam ($10). 
4. Once you have passed the exam and received your certificate, sign up in ESS using code  ETGCER.
5. Email your certificate to amie.adams@jeffco.k12.co.us. 
6. ​Your  clock-hour credit will appear on your ESS report in June.

Pear Deck is an online tool that provides formative assessment in real time.  It's web-based so it works on any device.  Teachers are able to check for understanding in their classroom through a variety of question types.  When teachers use Pear Deck they are able to adapt instruction based on student understanding and students can receive feedback in real time.

Pear Deck is an Add-on that works with Google Slides so it is easy to use! We have automatically added it for  you in Google Slides! To utilize Pear Deck, you can create a new Google Slides presentation or add Pear Deck to an existing presentation.  Once you've opened the Pear Deck Add-on, you can create your own questions or use the Template Library.

Pear Deck Math Templates

Here are some great ways to start using Pear Deck in your classroom:​

• ​Add a questions to existing Google Slides through  "Ask Students a Question" 
• Use a Beginning of Lesson template to get a discussion started in the classroom.
• Take a pulse of the classroom using the draggable slide
• Use the Newsela Daily Deck for a ready to teach activity 
• Use vocabulary lists and play Flashcard Factory

Pear Deck is designed so that all students are engaged in the learning.  Students answer questions in real time and teachers are able to give quick, immediate feedback to the students.  Teachers can see who is answering and able to project student responses that are anonymous.  Through the teacher dashboard, teachers can see each student's responses.  Teachers can even add a question on the fly to help alleviate misconceptions or get additional information from the class. At the end of the session, teachers are able to publish student takeaways.  These takeaways are sent to the students and the teachers.   

After creating your slides or adding your questions, it's time to present.  Make sure to use the green present with Pear Deck Button. When you Present with Pear Deck, your students will join your class with a code and your lesson can get underway.  Pear Deck is a great tool to get students and staff engaged in their learning.  Being a Google Add-on allows anyone to create a Pear Deck slide presentation.  Contact your Ed Tech Specialist or your Digital Teach Librarian to get started using Pear Deck.

“How many people do I need to create a podcast?” - It is absolutely possible to have students create individual podcasts, however, the workflow and format of a podcast lends itself to a small group as well. NPR has a great “Getting Started with Podcasts” page that describes some of the roles students may play in podcasting. Keep in mind you can combine these or assign more than one person to the same role, depending on your assignment or class format. ​

​NPR offers a variety of prompts for podcast topics that can work in different content areas…

1. Tell a story about your school or community: about something that happened there — recently or in the past — that your audience should know about.
2. What is a moment in history that all students should learn about?
3. Show us both sides of a debate about an issue that's important to your group.
4. What do they want to change about the world? 
5. Explain something that kids understand and grown-ups don't.

ALL of the Jeffco Generations Skills can be grown and practiced with a student-created podcasting project! ​​

• Students can demonstrate content mastery through the subject matter they cover in their project. 
• Civic and Global Engagement is present as soon as a student or group publishes their podcast to the internet, engaging the world-at-large in their conversation. 
• Self-direction & Personal Responsibility as well as Communication are present at all steps in the podcasting process, as students and/or groups brainstorm, script, record and edit their projects.
• Critical & Creative Thinking are observable as students work through challenges in brainstorming and scripting as well as the more technical aspects like recording and editing their footage.
• Collaboration & Leading by Influence as well as Agility & Adaptability are seen as students work through their projects together and come up against challenges presented by their environment or work partners. Working through these issues are a great preparation for future projects both in school and in the workplace.

John Swartz at Moore Middle School regularly publishes a Podcast with his 6th graders. This podcast is entering its second year and discusses upcoming community events and features interviews with teachers, students and other community members from the Pomona articulation area.

Here's a link to the Pomona Area Podcast page! Happy listening!

Did you know…that Jefferson County is comprised of 773 square miles (or  494,588 acres) and has approximately 580,000 residents across the county?  ​

With such a large county we have some amazing resources that are available to all of our residents and in our case, all of our students and staff.  Jefferson County Public Library and Jeffco Schools have historically had a supportive partnership, over the last few years this parternship has grown dynamically and continues today.  The collaboration supports a variety of experiences,  from the Summer Reading program to the Jeffco/JCPL newsletter that supports our DTLs and teachers to STEM Clubs (and upcoming MS EPIC STEM program) as well as Speed Dating with a Book and other literacy based ventures in schools.

Our Jeffco Squared team (comprised of Jeffco’s Library Services Coordinator & a mix of JCPL teams) meet monthly to collaborate and find more ways to bridge our work in order to support our community.  Beyond the summer reading challenge, one of the other topics we discuss on a regular basis is the  collection online tools and databases that are available for use.   Listed below is the 2019 Summer Reading Challenge update along with a small selection of tools available through JCPL.

​The JCPL Summer Reading Contest concluded in August and now the results are in!   Each of the following schools will be receiving a trophy and each of their libraries will be receiving a check for $800.  To read more about the contest and to see where other schools  ranked, visit the JCPL website.

The resources mentioned below are all available through JCPL, and can be accessed with a  JCPL library card.  These tools have been vetted by the district and approved for use.  However, they are not district supported - meaning that staff need to contact the vendor or JCPL to work through potential issues, as Jeffco IT does not manage the technical side of these tools.  Kanopy has been vetted by Jeffco, however the platform is best used by teachers, as it is not filtered and contains adult content.  

Mango Languages describes themselves as, “the only single solution that combines quality content, intelligent technology, and an adaptive algorithm that delivers practical phrases from real situations”. Just recently, Mango Languages increased the total number of languages they support to 71 different & unique languages!  
​They offer engaging interactive lessons in everything from the most common languages studied, such as Spanish, English,  French, and Chinese to unique languages such as Bengali, Dutch and even Pirate! Participants can easily access Mango by visiting the JCPL site and entering their library card number.  There is no need to create an account, as users can particpate by selecting guest user at the Mango login screen.   

CreativeBug is a new addition to JCPLs collection of resources this year.  It has been vetted by Jeffco and is an approved resource that like Mango Languages, is not district supported.  Creativebug does offer online video arts and crafts workshops and techniques. Particpants can learn how to paint, knit, crochet, sew, screen print, and more. Their topics range from Art and Design to Furniture Refinishing to Cake decorating and Canning.

​Some ideas for  curriculum connections with CreativeBug, include using the videos as

• Mentor text for Information
• Supports for Arts courses
• Creative exploration

An additional resource that is great for teachers is Kanopy.  Kanopy is a tool similar to that of YouTube, in that it offers a wide variety of videos.    In Kanopy Kids, they offer popular book titles as videos including documentaries, Global Studies, Education, Instructional Films and Lessons.  Kanopy also offers an elementary based collection for preschool and up. Kanopy Kids categories include Learning Languages, Animated Storybooks and Classic Films.  The Animated Storybooks  category in Kanopy Kids is a great resource for our elementary teachers, when connecting literacy to learning.  

These are just a few of the many tools JCPL offers their patrons.  If you have questions about the resources and databases available please connect with your schools' Digital Teacher Librarian to find out what resources might support your next unit. ​

Jeffco Ed Tech has the following robotics available for teachers to borrow for 3-week checkout periods. To check availablity and access the check out form, click on the Ed Tech Robotics website. All kits are picked up and returned through Jeffcat at 809 Quail.

The Dash robot can be programmed to respond to voice, record voice, and navigate objects. The challenge cards are aligned by grade level to the Code.org curriculum. There a 6 different apps that students can progress through while learning to code. With Wonder software, kids can also program the robot to do multiple tasks in parallel. Blockly introduces fundamental and advanced coding concepts through playful projects and puzzles. Kids learn about coding by exploring variables, events, conditionals, and more.

An ozobot identifies lines, colors, and codes on paper or digital surfaces. Bots can be coded online using OzoBlockly or on paper using markers. The bots will trace the path and react based on the colored patterns--changing speed, direction, timing, and even performing "cool moves".

Robots can be used to create learning experiences using design thinking, collaboration, and inquiry. Students can create models to demonstrate abstract and complex thinking, solve problems using data, and learn from the iterative process.

​So that’s the Big Picture. As for incorporating this technology into our daily classroom environment, I am still a novice. I still ask the Annoying Question of the Day to Matt and Judy and have impractical requests that are met with “You really don’t want to do that, Clint”. “Why not?” And then he patiently explains the Why Not. I’m moving in the right direction, though, and zealously embracing the feel-good-It’s-OK cliche of our times: failing forward. A LOT. My students laugh at me when my “app-tempts” explode. We all laugh together, though, because I’ve found that true humility and vulnerability sometimes creates powerful community. It’s better than the option of playing the immutable sage on the stage, a role that would last, at most, a few measly seconds, and quickly scuttle any vestige of ethos I do have. They teach me more than I could ever figure out myself, and at 1/10 of the time, and they feel powerful when they teach the teacher. I like that. Empowering kids is fun. It’s a rush. Often, when you give That One Troublemaker a Chromebook and a purpose, they are transformed...just like the task they’re working on.

Regarding technology, it’s going well. The kids are excited and potentially a bit intimidated. They see the potential inherent in the system. Even if they are not used to seeing it that way, they recognize their tech as a catalyst to learning and maybe even prosperity. The responsibility they have with that makes them feel like an adult. ​

​Twenty-six years ago, when I first started teaching, “technology” meant the new-fangled electric pencil sharpener that was bolted to a desk. It’s safe to say a few things have changed since then. Heck, we don’t even really need pencil sharpeners. But I still have one. My students still use it. If you need it, it’s right over there by the door, next to the Chromebook cart and the Cell Hotel phone holder.

Happy teaching, everyone!

Clint Locks
​​Teacher, Pomona High School

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We are so excited to announce a brand new module in the Bridge to Curriculum. The Professional Learning Library has over 500 just-in-time learning opportunities. You can find articles, videos of Jeffco teachers, and even face-to-face and virtual professional learning opportunities throughout the district.  You will find all of your professional learning needs and wants located here in the Bridge to Curriculum.  Anyone can contribute to the Professional Learning Library. Just use the "Create a Professional Learning Button" from the Professional Learning Library page. 

Horizontal Movement of Year at a Glance (YAAGs): You now have the ability to move your Units of Study horizontally.  After you have loaded all of your YAAGs, go to the home page and use the arrows to move units. ​

You can drill down to see Knows, Understands, Dos and Essential Questions that are attached to this Evidence Outcome within this Unit of Study

We have added a link to the Digital Tools Website! You can now access this database straight from  the Bridge to Curriculum!