Terry's Tech Tips

Inquiry-based learning   (noun) is a form of  active learning  that starts by posing questions, problems or scenarios—rather than simply presenting established facts or portraying a smooth path to knowledge.    Source:   Wikipedia This week I thought we would explore another classroom where inquiry-based learning is being utilized!   Claims 'Supported by Science':   Ryan Palmer (along with many of the Chemistry teachers) now uses part of his class on Fridays to do ' Science Friday '.  Named after the popular Science Friday NPR radio program, Ryan will pick a current topic making a claim 'supported by science'.  Ryan used the video below created by the Jimmy Kimmel Show to introduce the topic ' Are GMO's Bad for you? does science support the claim that GMO's (genetically modified organisms) are detrimental to your health?  Students are given 10 minutes to research the topic and determine an a...

Inquiry-based learning:  Inquiry-based learning  (noun) is a form of  active learning  that starts by posing questions, problems or scenarios—rather than simply presenting established facts or portraying a smooth path to knowledge. The process is often assisted by a  facilitator .  Inquirers will identify and research issues and questions to develop their knowledge or solutions. Inquiry-based learning includes  problem-based learning and is generally used in small-scale investigations and projects, as well as  research .   Source:   Wikipedia Based on research results ("Make it Stick' By Peter Brown and many others!),  Inquiry-based learning provides the following benefits: increased student engagement    better retention/understanding of the material What does Inquiry-based learning look like? If you are interested in exploring this pedagogy, I think one of the easiest ways to understan...

Google has been busy re-arranging the menus in Google Docs and Slides.  Everything is still there, just in a different place! Google analyzed usage data and feedback to re-organize the menu options to be more user-friendly.      (Click the  found in Google apps to give feedback.) Where are the tools now? Tables: If you have looked for the Tables menu option in both Slides and Docs, you may have noticed it is gone!  The Table tools are now separate: Add a Table:  Insert>Table Note that the Insert menu has been reordered slightly. Edit a Table:  Format>Table: Text Formatting Menu: Text formatting options like bold, italics, and underline now appear under the Format heading as a submenu.    These tools still appear on the toolbar found beneath the Format tab, and can still be accessed using the appropriate keyboard shortcuts.  Google Docs Only: Separate Text & Highli...

Student alerts in Aspen (those small icons that you click next to your student's name)  provide valuable information about your students.  Click here to see the full list of alerts and the information they contain . They also provide critical information that impacts student learning.  Failure to comply with them puts CCHS in a potentially litigious situation. Don't see student alerts on your Student tab or GradeBook>Scores tab?  Follow these directions to make sure you have access to this valuable information! Enable Student Alerts: 1.  While in Gradebook>Scores , click the cog.  2.  Click the Student Information tab, and click Show student alerts : Click OK at the bottom of the page.   Do you see alerts next to your students name while on your Student tab or GradeBook>Scores tab now?  You are done!   I still don't see alerts!  Change default field...

Storms the past two weeks have really impacted our schedule!  This blog post should interest you if you want to gain more time in class for important student learning! Buy Back Class Time: Do you have a process that indirectly impacts student learning but takes precious class time to show students?   (Installing an app, extension, or using a website specific to your class?)  Do you have a particularly difficult topic requiring extra support or explanation?    Consider recording your screen while modeling the process or explaining the topic using a Chrome extension called Screencastify !  (Note that QuickTime Player also has screen recording options.) Once you have created your video, you can assign it as homework, saving class time you would have spent modeling the process or clarifying the difficult concept to your students. Using my laptop, I made the screen recording below demonstrating how to add the Screencastify extension to Chrome.   T...

As promised, this week's post highlights the ways Google Keep can help you both in your professional practice and personal life.   You can catch last week's post using Google Keep with Students here  (especially those with Executive Function issues) . Many teachers use the Sticky Notes app found on every Apple laptop.  They are visual reminders of things you need to do or remember.  The only problem: if you aren't using that device, you don't have access to those notes!  Google Keep provides the same function, but on every device! Professional Practice Google Keeps's integration with Google Docs and Slides provides some really helpful applications for teachers.    Access your Google Keep notes in Google Docs or Slides by clicking Tools> Keep notepad. Frequently used comments: Providing feedback is so important....but can be so time-consuming!  If you are providing feedback on Google Docs or Slides, using Google Ke...

Google Keep?  What is that?   If you asked that question in your head, you are not alone!  Google Keep has been around for a few years, but enhancements in the past few months have made it a really useful tool for teacher productivity and student organization and executive function .  Today we'll talk about what Google Keep is and how it can help students with executive function challenges and other learning differences.  (The next blog post will focus on helping you in your professional practice.) Google Keep allows you to create notes (like sticky notes) that you can access anywhere!  You can create notes, lists, or reminders.  You can also add: text color, images voice notes drawings, and more!   You can organize notes by labels (or tags), and add collaborators to notes. Photo Courtesy of Kasey Bell at ShakeUpLearning Google Keep is really simple to use.  Navigate to keep.google.com , or use the App Picker ...