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2019-2020 Summary of Offerings

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2019-2020 Summary of Offerings

App Smashing in the Classroom

Instructor: Maya Bery
Format: F2F
Description: App smashing is best defined as taking two or more apps and combining them together to create something new that would not otherwise have been possible. It is fun, engaging, and results in expanded creative possibilities for students and teachers while tapping into higher order skills. In this class, participants will engage in a hands-on exploration of apps including Padlet, Explain Everything, Seesaw, Thinglink, Aurasma, BookCreator, and Tellagami and consider ways in which to smash these apps together for greater impact. Participants will also collaborate with each other to generate a master list of app smashing “recipes” and project ideas that they can take with them to implement into their classrooms

Create Interactive Games and Tools with Google Sheets & Sites 

Instructor: Audra Kaplan
Format: Online 

Description: In this online course participants will create a series of interactive games and tools to engage any audience.  Using a Google Site and Google Sheet templates participants will work to design a host of ready to use games for the classroom, office, family gathering and more. This integration with Google Drive allows any user an opportunity to work collaboratively. Break your audience up into random groups, create a bracket, customize the content of your own Jeopardy like game or use an improv spinner to spice things up, and more.  All you need is a gmail account, a device, and a wifi connection.

Engaging Students with Digital Escape Rooms 

Instructor: Erin Foley
Format: Online 

Description: This course will focus on using a combination of primarily G Suite for Education (Google) tools to create scavenger hunt-like puzzles that can be combined to create a digital escape room. Apps that are utilized in this course include Google Docs, Sheets, Drawings, and Sites. Puzzles include jigsaw puzzles, hidden links within a Google Drawing, and secret word/message decoders. 

Google Tools for Effective Instruction of Students with Disabilities and Unique Learning Styles

Instructor: Rochelle Cooper
Format: Online
Description: This workshop directly fulfills the current DESE Individual Professional Development plan requirement of 15 PDPs in the area of training related to strategies for effective schools for students with disabilities and instruction of students with diverse learning styles.  Each session will include a short reading, collaborative discussion and an exploration of two or more Google Tools.  Also, as part of each session, participants will be asked to contribute to a comprehensive and collaborative collection of lesson plans and ideas that will be shared amongst the group.  The goal is to create a resource to be used by all – both within the course and beyond.

Growth Mindset: Exploring Your Own Classroom Mindset Practices and Using Technology to Help Students Develop a Growth Mindset 

Instructor: Margaret Peixoto
Format: Online 

Description: Participants will explore their own mindset and recognize how their classroom and building practices impact student mindsets.  We will learn the differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. We will work together to create new habits to help your students develop a growth mindset using classroom activities, growth-oriented feedback and tech tools.

Integrating Educational Video into the Curriculum How to Use Video to Flip, Differentiate, Assess and Enhance Teaching and Learning in Your Classrooms

Instructor: Donna Gath Criswell
Format: Online
Description: In this workshop you will learn how to locate quality video resources, have a better understanding of the flipped classroom model, as well as how to use video to assess understanding. Participants will reshape an existing lesson, or build a new one, to include these tools to enhance your teaching and/or your students’ learning. Activities include readings and/or videos, with periods for discussion and reflection. Using Backwards Design theory and a Constructivist approach, you will design an assessment that supports the curriculum frameworks/standards. Many resources discussed in this course integrate with Google Apps for Education and/or Chrome. 

Kick It Up A Notch! Exploring SAMR in the Classroom

Instructor: Susan Kiley
Format: Online
Description: Participants will explore the SAMR model to transform their classroom following
the 4Cs of Learning and Innovation. Various Google Apps, Chrome Extensions and other
online tools will be used in this course for teachers to gain the student perspective, and determine
the best tools for their own classroom. We will collaborate using your existing class lessons and
activities to see how they can be boosted using technology. The end result will be integrated
lessons & activities for your classroom.

Let Me Show You What I Know: Putting Technology Into the Hands of Students

Instructor: Donna Gath Criswell
Format: Online
Description: This workshop will support you as you integrate 21st Century Digital Storytelling pedagogy into a curriculum unit of study. While digital storytelling is often thought of as a literacy activity, it should also be seen as a way to demonstrate understanding in any content area. As the Common Core focuses more on informational texts, digital storytelling allows students an accessible means to present their learning. Many resources discussed in this course integrate with Google Apps for Education and/or Chrome. 

MA DLCS Series – Computational Thinking for Educators – Creating Future Problem Solvers (Elementary, Middle and High School Sections available) 

Format: Online 

Description: Mold the students of today into the problem solvers and critical thinkers of tomorrow. This course provides a snapshot of the Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science Frameworks Computational Thinking strand and its related standards.  It will supply you with a variety of creative ways to weave these standards into your teaching. We will use a – “Learn It”, “Do It”, “Share It”, “Prove It” – format each week to become familiar with the components of each strand. Elements of technology and social media are woven throughout the workshop to aid in integrating key computational thinking concepts into students’ daily lives. 

Teachers’ Tech Toolbox for Math and Beyond 

Instructor: Margaret Peixoto
Format: Online 

Description: Dive into using digital tools to increase student engagement in the math classroom! The workshop is math focused, but the tools covered are applicable to all curriculum areas. Participants will learn how to use free digital tools that support equations, graphs and handwriting – all the things that math teachers need to create successful lessons. Participants will also learn how to adapt other tech tools to make them more math-friendly. Build your tech toolbox for math and beyond in just four weeks!  

Note: Non-math teachers are welcome! Margaret will work with you to tailor the tools to your subject area as needed. 

Our four sessions will be organized by intended use for the tech tool in a math classroom, but all of the tools can be used for many different things. 

Teaching Digital Citizenship – Shaping Responsible Members of a Digital World

Instructor: Rochelle Cooper
Format: Online
Description: As students navigate their way through the digital world, it is our responsibility to provide them with the tools that will shape them into responsible digital citizens. Our roles as educators allow us the prime opportunity to help students learn and grow as they take advantage of the technology that is available to them.  This online workshop will teach key concepts surrounding the topic of digital citizenship and supply you with a variety of creative and fun ways to weave positive digital practices and lessons into your teaching. We will use elements of technology and social media throughout the workshop to integrate key digital citizenship concepts into students’ daily lives.  

Thinking Outside the Box with Google Slides 

Instructor: Audra Kaplan
Format: Online 

Description: In this online course participants will create a series of Google Slides in new and creative ways. Google Slides, one of my favorite Google tools, allows users to create beautiful projects asynchronously or not, as a team or independently. Learn how to insert and manipulate images with a variety of tools, e.g change the transparency, add color hues, cutting the images into shapes… without scissors to create infographics, storyboards, refrigerator magnets, comic strips, and more. In addition to exploring these tools, we will learn some choices for searching the internet for copyright free images.  Participants will also learn how to share Google files and publish their own works. Join us to create meaningful, fun, and visually appealing Google Slides for any curriculum topic or occasion. 

Top Tech Tools for SEI

Instructor: Rochelle Cooper
Format: Online

Description: This online workshop contains content needed to fulfill the DESE Individual Professional Development plan requirement of at least 15 PDPs in the area of training related to SEI or English as a Second Language (for renewal of licensure).

Tech Tools researched in this course will be both Google and non-Google resources – all with the goal of creating an effective and fun learning platform for English Language Learners. Each session will include a short reading, and an exploration of two or more Tech Tools that will help you accommodate the needs of ELL and ESL students in your classroom. Also, as part of each session, participants will be asked to contribute to a collaborative discussion with colleagues. They will also be required to apply their learning for the week via a product that will be shared amongst the group.

Transform Learning with Virtual and Augmented Reality Technology 

Instructor: Erin Foley
Format: Online 

Description: This workshop will focus on incorporating Google Poly, Expeditions, and Cardboard tools into classroom instruction. It is recommended that participants have a laptop or desktop device that supports WebGL as well as an iPhone, Android, or iPod Touch device. Participants may also wish to purchase the Google Cardboard VR viewer available on Amazon for $15.00, though this is not required. 

Using Web 2.0 Tools to Motivate and Manage Students

Instructor: Donna Gath Criswell
Format: Online
Description: Learn how to use a variety of simple, yet powerful, web 2.0 tools that will help you manage student behavior as well as motivate students, focus their attention on learning, and do it in fun and engaging ways! Many resources discussed in this course integrate with Google Apps for Education and/or Chrome.  

Wonder Workshop Training – Featuring Bots “Dash” and “Cue”

Instructor: Audra Kaplan
Format: Onsite 

Description: This one-day workshop will provide an in-depth hands-on exploration of the Teach Wonder experience including robots Dash (K-5) or Cue (6-8). Learn to bring excitement and wonder to kids through robotics and coding with Dash and Cue. Learn why computer science and computational thinking skills are essential for all learners. Understand how to implement a computer science program that supports learning and critical thinking skills across the curricula. Participants will leave with the confidence that computer science for K-8 learners is appropriate and doable along with the knowledge of how it can be done, and where to find the resources necessary to do so.

3…2…1…ACTION Series! Become a Green Screen Guru 

Instructor: Erika Sandstrom
Format: Online 

Description:  This course is wonderful for beginners and experienced “green screeners” as well as ANY grade level or subject area teacher, and even administrators. You will gain the skills and provided resources to teach your students and assign these types of projects to spice up your existing curriculum, but also the confidence to create your own educational material! You will learn how to make your own homemade ‘green screen studio’ on a budget. Incorporating green screen can be truly easy as you could add it as an option to a project or unit you already teach and the benefits for students learning new skills are numerous. Everyone will also collect take-home ideas for immediate use in all curriculum areas as well as create your own green screen project using your existing curriculum.

3…2…1…ACTION Series! Video Production in Any Classroom or School 

Instructor: Erika Sandstrom
Format: Online 

Description: With a simple video camera, computer or cell phone, and one of the many media production tools available, anybody can become a video producer. In this ONLINE workshop, participants will learn and practice the “Video Production Process.” as well as how to use a Green Screen.  The goal is to not ADD something new for educators, but to REPLACE things they are already doing in their classrooms with innovative and exciting new ideas using video production.  Everyone will also collect take-home ideas for immediate use in all curriculum areas.