Digital Learning Day 2019

It's almost here! Digital Learning Day 2019 and here at The Valley we are ramping up!

I'm so lucky to work in a school with so many amazing things happening in classrooms! But sometimes getting teachers to feel comfortable sharing and showcasing their awesomeness is difficult.  So what will we be doing?

We will be awarding prizes to teachers for doing what they already do every day -- teaching amazing lessons using appropriately integrated technology!  Teachers who want to highlight their lesson with tech can add a pic and description to our school DL Day Padlet.  They can also tweet out a pic and small description using the hashtag #DLDay and @OfficialDLDay if they want. They must include me (@ACluttsSVHS)  and our school @SV_Vikings in their Tweet so I know they are participating and then they are then entered to win fabulous classroom prizes!

Who doesn't want to win dry erase cubes or foam dice to help gamify a lesson or two? These are easy and economical prizes that you can find on Amazon. Here are the Amazon links if you're interested: foam dice and whiteboard cubes.

Teachers will be entering all day on February 28th - Digital Learning Day. Check back to watch our progress!

Listening is a 21st Century Skill - We Need to Teach It

Good communication skills are one of the qualities that all employers want their workers to possess. Yet, teachers don't focus on listening skills as much as they should in classrooms. @thebalance rates being able to listen as number one on their communication list in the article Communication Skills for Workplace Success. 

So what should we do to help students with their listening skills? Practice listening. Teachers need to model good listening skills and then give students time to practice it. Without this essential skill, our students will continue to struggle with their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. 

A great resource for helping students listen is podcasts. My new favorite resource is https://listenwise.com/. This site offers tons of 3-6 minute stories for students grades 5-12. It's very teacher friendly and is searchable by grade level and topic.  They offer transcripts, lesson plan ideas, and quizzes with the premium price, but their basic site is free for teachers and makes a great additional resource for students. Podcasts can be pushed out through Google classroom too!

Podcast Graphic Organizer Preview

Try my Podcast Graphic Organizer - All ready for Google Classroom - just make a copy,  distribute, and get started today!Enjoy!

Below is a video that explains more about how to use the graphic organizer with listenwise.com or any podcast.

The Big Game is Almost Here!

Get your students interested in learning with this great list of sports-related videos from Edutopia. Pair it with an SOS Strategy from Discovery Education and you've got yourself a quick, fun, easy-peasy mini-lesson!!! What a great way to start a Friday!

Regardless of if you are a Rams or a Patriots fan, (or an angry Saints fan), or even if you are just in it for the commercials.... here are some interesting and fun videos on the science of sports. These are great classroom warm-ups or discussion starters for a Friday morning right before the big game!

Try This Strategy

1. Watch one of the videos on the list above.
2. Have students complete an AEIOU strategy chart.

A = Adjective

List a word or two that describes something you saw or learned.

E = Emotion

Describe how a particular part of the segment made you feel.

I = Interesting

Write something you found interesting about the content/topic.

O = Oh!

Describe something that caused you to say “Oh!”

U = Um?

Write a question about something you learned, or want to learn more about.

For more strategies like this go to discoveryeducation.com and search SOS strategies.