Check out our latest blog posts
Thanksgiving Fun for Elementary Students
Here’s a link to a fun Thanksgiving writing activity for elementary students.
Hypothesis- The Tool You Didn’t Know You Needed
Often times I am asked how teachers can have students annotate text on a webpage or PDF. And now, I have a definitive answer: Hypothesis.
What’s Going On?
See how one teacher is using Mahara portfolios to check in on her students during Daily 5 rotations.
Exciting News from the Tech Department!
The Tech Team does it again! Now students can log in to iLearn (Moodle) using Google!
A New Reading Practice and Progress Monitoring Tool for iLearn (Moodle)
We all know that progress monitoring is an essential tool for teaching. The information gathered from a running record is extremely valuable to drive our reading instruction. The problem is that it requires the one thing teachers are always short on-- time. That's...
Fun Writing Idea for Elementary Students
Here’s a fun and creative writing idea using Google Slides.
Smith 8th Graders Make Connections with Academic Vocabulary
Multimedia brings academic vocabulary to life with the Glossary module in iLearn. Learn how.
Beating Cheating in Online Assessment: The Remix
Sometimes information is so good, it needs to be shared multiple times. This article, originally written and posted by Bob Harrison in May of 2016, has been updated and remixed with some new information. Enjoy!
Standards Based Assessment
In case you haven't heard, I am back working with my own set of students on a regular basis, leaving Amy as the only full-time Tech Coach in our district. This has given me the opportunity to try out some of the things I've been supporting teachers in doing over the...
I Got a New Interactive Projector- Now What?
Need help with your new interactive projector? Check this out!
Constitution Day Activities for Elementary Students
Are you looking for some engaging resources for your students that will help them better understand our Constitution? Look no more!
Getting Started with Chromebooks for our Young Learners
For our students who may be new to Chromebooks, learning how to use them should be quick and simple.
Start the Year Off with Mahara Portfolios
Are you ready to start the year off with student portfolios? Check out the Mahara Workflow below! Each step contains a how-to video, suitable for teachers and students alike, designed to help students create dynamic and creative portfolios that showcase their best...
Welcome Back!
Good afternoon and welcome back! As many of you already know, due to the unfortunate budget cuts and realigning of the staff, the Tech Coaches have been reduced to one. As the sole Tech Coach, I will do my absolute best to provide as much support to teachers as...
iLearn (Moodle) Summer Cleaning
If you are a regular iLearn (Moodle) user, now is a good time to do a little tidying up of your course(s). Now that school is out of session and grades have already been recorded, we recommend you "Reset" your course. Resetting your course may sound alarming, but this...
iLearn is Powerful: A Stellar Review
No, literally. It’s a review about stars. And Nuclear energy. In the midst of the black hole of late-May learner attention spans.
This is just one of the many ways teachers are using iLearn (Moodle) to create learning opportunities and make learning more effective and efficient for students with the use of technology.
A Conversation with Ms. Chelsea Manning, Stout Social Studies Teacher
Over the last couple years, Amy and I have been engaged in close working relationships with teachers across the district as we seek to partner with them to help infuse technology into the learning environments they facilitate. We call these collaborative efforts Technology Integration Partnerships (TIPs). I recently followed up with one of the phenomenal teachers I’ve worked with over the last year or so, Ms. Chelsea Manning, 8th grade social studies teacher at Stout Middle School. We spent a little time reflecting on our experience working through a unit this spring.
Have a listen:
Tech Tip Tuesday: Copyright Infringement
The Dreaded Email As a Tech Coach, one of the most dreaded emails that always sends a slight wave of panic through me begins with the subject line: DMCA Violation Notice. In a nutshell, someone, somewhere has violated copyright on their blog, and the post must be...
Students Should Be the Ones Making the Case that They’re Proficient
What students should be doing at the end of our classes is making the case that they are proficient in the standards they were required to be proficient in by the end of our classes. And they should be supporting their case with evidence. [Read time: 2 min]
The Highly-Versatile, Differentiable, Embedded Assessment-Capable, Student-Paced Moodle Lesson Module
[Read time: 2 min] Lessons using the Moodle Lesson module can range from a very simple, linear progression of pages, to a more complex, branched pathway in which students can opt for different pathways, like the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books of yore. Lessons are self-paced and student-driven. Pages can deliver content (textual, audio, video, or a combination), or they can present students with a question that must be answered. Furthermore, students can be directed to specific pages (such as back to the previous page to look for the answer in the case of an incorrect response) based on the answer given. And, they’re easy to create.
Tech Tip Tuesday: YouTube Speed Adjustment
Did you know that you can adjust the speed of how quickly you watch YouTube videos? You can speed up or slow down a video, depending on your preference. Check out how...
How do I ...?
Meet the Tech Coaches
Teacher Perspectives
Dearborn Teachers discuss their experiences with using the Moodle Workshop module in their instrution.
Early Childhood / Preschool
Use technology in beneficial ways with your child
Google Apps
Help, tips, and hints for using Google Apps for Education (G Suite)
ePortfolios
Help students collect and curate artifacts of their work, set goals and develop plans.
Moodle
Transform the way students learn in your classroom with iLearn
iBlog
Form a working partnership with parents and students by communicating effectively
Accessibility
Everyone has a right to information. Learn how to make your materials accessible to all.
Technology for Lifelong Learning
As technology increases exponentially, learners in the 21st century have the opportunity to go far beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom. The available technology provided by the Dearborn Schools allows students to interact in the digital community, collaborate with peers, and engage with the world from their seats in our classrooms. The possibilities for learning know no boundaries online. Learn how to help students become lifelong learners in the digital community.Our Goal
The goal of instructional technology coaches is to help teachers become effective at using technology to provide the most technology-rich, positive learning environments possible. To this end, we believe effective teachers…- Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity.
- Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments.
- Model digital age work and learning.
- Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility.
- Engage in professional growth and leadership.
from Standards for Teachers.
