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Tech4You

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In response to the challenges educators currently face, MassCUE has developed a series of self-paced, hybrid style opportunities! Our Tech4You workshops offer flexibility to both participants and instructors, while continuing to include the critical content and strategies required of today’s hybrid, face to face and remote teaching environments. Each 3-hour workshop includes up to 2-hours worth of self-paced, asynchronous material which participants complete over a 2 week period, as well as a 1-hour, synchronous, live Q & A session with the instructor. We understand the complexities of this unprecedented school year, but also the need for continued support and professional development. MassCUE’s Tech4You workshops allow you to make BIG gains with little time commitment; technology professional development that works FOR you. These non-credit workshops will provide 3 PDPs, for $45! Visit our Workshops calendar [1] to view dates and to register.

Some of our popular offerings include:

Create and Implement Interactive Presentations for Students with PearDeck [2]

Desmos: Creating Your Own Activity Builder [3]

Desmos: Using Activity Builder [4]

Digital Escape Rooms for All Content Areas [5]

FREEmium Tech Tools to Meet Student Needs in All Areas [6]

Google Certified Educator Level 1 Prep [7]

Google Certified Educator Level 2 Prep [8]

Google Docs & Slides for Differentiated Instruction [9]

Innovative Ideas for Inspiring Leadership in Our Students and Colleagues (Within a Virtual Setting and Beyond) [10]

Keeping it Together with Google Apps [11]

Create and Implement Interactive Presentations for Students Using PearDeck

During this hands-on workshop, participants will experience PearDeck as student – as well as a teacher. Participants will be given time to alter an existing presentation they might already have with PearDeck in order to implement it with their own students. (PearDeck has both a free and paid version – we will be focusing on the free version). 

Desmos: Creating Your Own Activity Builder

Desmos is the go-to tool for Mathematics teachers, especially during remote setting. During this workshop, participants will learn how to create their own activity builders with Desmos. This workshop is designed for those mathematics teachers who have used Desmos before and are ready for the opportunity to try and create their own activities with activity builder. Participants will learn how to mix pre-made activities with their own content. Participants will get an idea of what is capable and then be given time to create. Participants will be asked to submit an activity that they have created. Why not spend some time learning how to do what you have wanted to do with other like minded mathematics teachers.

Desmos: Using Activity Builder

Desmos is the go-to tool for Mathematics teachers, especially during remote setting. During this beginner workshop, participants will learn how to use the activity builder feature of Desmos with pre-made activities. Activity Builder guides students through math investigations/activities at their pace or the pace of the teacher. Participants will first experience activity builder as a student, then will discover how to run an activity as a teacher. Participants will also be given time to find activity builders that connect with their own content that they teach. This workshop will certainly help mathematics teachers feel more comfortable with using the product with their own students and get a better understanding of what activities are out there to use.

Digital Escape Rooms for All Content Areas

This workshop 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 for any content area. Apps that are utilized in this course include Google Forms, Sheets, and Drawings. Escape rooms will include color-coded conditional formatting in Sheets, hidden messages within Drawings, and additional embedded content in Forms.

FREEmium Tech Tools to Meet Student Needs in All Areas

Participants will learn about FREE assistive technology tools that they can use immediately to meet the needs of their diverse learners. These tools include speech-to-text, text-to-speech, ad-blockers, annotation tools, graphic organizers, translate tools, customizable reading content for any computer-based or online article, interactive videos, and more! Participants will utilize all of these tools on Chromebook or other personal devices and develop practical ways that they can use these tools in their classrooms. Emphasis will be put on easy application of assistive technology tools – no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to lesson planning!

Google Certified Educator Level 1 Prep

The first part of this workshop consists of two hours of self-paced guided exploration, review and instruction addressing the material covered Google Educator Level 1 exam. Participants will have the opportunity to assess their individual needs and interact with supplied resources of their choice as they fine tune the skills and knowledge they will need to prepare for the Level 1 exam. 

In the second part of the workshop, participants engage in a one hour session with fellow participants and the instructor. During the one hour live session, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss concerns with the instructor and other participants.

Google Certified Educator Level 2 Prep

The first part of this workshop consists of two hours of self-paced guided exploration, review and instruction addressing the material covered Google Educator Level 2 exam. Participants have the opportunity to assess their individual needs and interact with supplied resources of their choice as they fine tune the skills and knowledge they will need to prepare for the Level 2 exam.

In the second part of the workshop, participants engage in a one hour session with fellow participants and the instructor. During the one hour live session, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss concerns with the instructor and other participants.

Google Docs & Slides for Differentiated Instruction

In this session, participants will explore various ways to differentiate content, and create opportunities for student choice.

Innovative Ideas for Inspiring Leadership in Our Students and Colleagues (Within a Virtual Setting and Beyond)

Leading beyond our titles from any role is critical when it comes to contributing to the culture of a school or district. Our current situation has called on us to perhaps learn and lead more than we ever have before. I hope you will come join me as we dive into leadership opportunities that exist within our buildings as well as the virtual arena we

have entered. Throughout this course, we will use major themes and ideas from Lead beyond Your Title to explore how we can create change in ourselves, our students, and our colleagues. As you lead your own workshop journey, you will be asked to reflect on examples of teacher and student owned experiences.  You will have an opportunity to dive into purposeful digital tools to help leverage the impact for those around us.  As we come together to conclude, you will be asked to share a brief action plan you can take with you.  Together, we will be able to walk away with innovative ideas for inspiring leadership opportunities in our students and colleagues within a virtual setting and beyond.

Keeping it Together with Google Apps

In this session, we will discuss planning, communication and best practices in delivering online instruction and keeping you and your students on track.

Use Google Calendar [14] reminders to help you and your students remember deadlines, and view due dates in the class calendar and Google Classroom