WRSD Remote Learning Website

The WRSD Remote Learning Website was created to support teachers, students, and parent through the process of online and distant learning. 

News Literacy 101 | Common Sense Media

Fact-Checkin' Fake News with Media Literacy Tips

News Literacy 101

Follow these steps to help kids (and you!) resist fake news, fact-check, and think critically about news and information. By Christine Elgersma 3/26/2018

Go to the ARTICLE

4 Must-Have Google Classroom Skills for Teachers

Oct 16, 2017 | Posted by Kasey Bell 

Go to: http://www.shakeuplearning.com/blog/4-must-google-classroom-skills-teachers/

Maria E. Pearson

Instructional Technology Specialist

Winnisquam Regional School District

603.286.7143 ext. 2716

Tech Toolbox: https://sites.google.com/view/thetechtoolbox/the-technology-toolbox

ClassroomScreen makes you projected screen "feel" interactive!

Thanks Josh Rawson for sharing this resource!

Project ClassroomScreen on your projector and you can… 

• choose a background 
• type your instructions in the textbox
• choose a work symbol 
• set a timer or show the clock 
• use the traffic light 
• pick a random name
• do some simple math
• draw in-screen or full-screen
• generate a qr-code
• drag and drop the icons in the right place

Here's how it works...

Go to http://classroomscreen.com/ and try it out! 

​​

Maria Pearson

Instructional Technology Specialist

Winnisquam Regional School District

603.286.4531 x1211

My Website - https://sites.google.com/view/thetechtoolbox/the-technology-toolbox

My Blog - http://wrsdtechnology.blogspot.com/

New Technology Toolbox

Four GREAT resources to engage and sustain your students in almost any type of classroom situation... Take a look at the New Technology Toolbox featured tools:

https://sites.google.com/view/thetechtoolbox/the-technology-toolbox

Let's get together and plan your next lesson with one of these!

​

Maria

Maria E. Pearson

Instructional Technology Specialist

Winnisquam Regional School District

603.286.4531 x1211

EPIC! Online library of eBooks for kids 12 and under on the web, iOS, and Android devices

Epic! opens the doors to a new world of reading for kids 12 and under by providing an unlimited selection of eBooks that can be instantly discovered, read and shared with friends. Personalized for each individual reader, Epic! is the only place to access thousands of high quality, curated children's books without the need to purchase or download them one by one. Beautifully designed for mobile and featuring fun, game-like elements, Epic! provides kids with a personal library they can take anywhere. In a world of unlimited screen time, Epic! is a smart alternative to games and videos. Epic! is available on all iOS and Android devices. Go to https://www.getepic.com/ and get started today!

Thanks Trisha Kent from Union Sanborn for sharing this terrific resource!

Tech Tip: Essential PC shortcuts you should know...

Repost from Windows Get Help...

I've always liked that Windows gives me multiple ways to perform popular tasks. Say you want to print something. You could go to the File menu and select the Print command, or you can press the Ctrl button and the letter P. Ctrl+P is just one example of a keyboard shortcut. Shortcuts combine two or more keys to do something special that neither key does alone.

I prefer to use shortcuts whenever possible. It’s kind of amazing how much time you can save by cutting out mouse clicks. Here are my top 20 shortcuts that you might not know about—but should.

Get to know the basics

There are certain shortcuts I use all day, every day. They work whether I’m doing stuff with photos, music, documents, or spreadsheets.

• Copy a selected item: Ctrl+C
• Cut a selected item: Ctrl+X
• Paste a selected item: Ctrl+V
• Undo an action: Ctrl+Z
• Redo that thing I just undid: Ctrl+Y
• Select everything: Ctrl+A
• Print: Ctrl+P
• Lock your PC or switch users
  Windows logo key +L
  This shortcut locks your PC and instantly displays the login screen.  This is especially important if you will be leaving your classroom!

To see more shortcuts, go to 20 essential PC shortcuts

Maria

Maria E. Pearson

Instructional Technology Specialist

Winnisquam Regional School District

603.286.4531  x211

My Blog - http://wrsdtechnology.blogspot.com/

XtraMath.org... Online Math Facts Practice for ALL your students

Keep your students engaged and making progress on learning their math facts!

XtraMath.org is an AWESOME site to help students master their basic math facts... supports addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  Xtramath is very easy to use and is set up in such a way that your students can practice at school as well as at home!  Brenda Lawrence, Southwick teacher,  uses this website with her 4th grade class.  From the teacher perspective, you have access to all of your students' progress records from both school AND home. It is a great way to watch each child's progress. The reports are easy to read and easy to access as well. Each week you will receive an email report showing how your kiddos are doing as well. Super cool! If you haven't tried this site out with your class, it comes HIGHLY recommended. You won't be disappointed!

Thanks Brenda for contributing!
 

Go to https://xtramath.org/ to get started online or there's also an App for XtraMath!

Maria

Maria E. Pearson

Instructional Technology Specialist

Winnisquam Regional School District

603.286.4531  x211

My Blog - http://wrsdtechnology.blogspot.com/

Spark 101 - STEM Resource for the Classroom

Looking for a free resource to engage your students in real-world problem solving and build 21st century skills?

Looking for ways to ignite student interest in STEM?  Or bring real-world problems from industry into your classrooms?  Look no further than Spark 101—a free resource designed by teachers for teachers.  Ten-minute, scenario-based videos—presented by dynamic industry professionals—can help you facilitate student problem solving in almost any secondary STEM classroom. 

See upcoming Webinars listed below:

Free Spark 101 "Best Practices" sessions for Fall 2014.Register for our upcoming national Spark 101 “best practices” webinars.

• Thursday, November 13, 2014: Online from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. EST Register here.
• Tuesday, November 18, 2014: Online from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. EST Register here.
• Thursday, December 4, 2014: Online from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. EST Register here.

See more at: http://www.spark101.org/educator-resources/#sthash.ZqGdzCbM.dpuf

10 Tips To Use Google Classroom Effectively

Google Classroom was designed hand-in-hand with Google Apps for Education teachers to help them save time, keep classes organized, and improve communication with students. Google Classroom is now available to all Google Apps for Education schools.

Google Classroom Infographic Best Practices

1. Kick off in-class discussion when you post topics and questions to the Stream.
2. Use Google Classroom for any subject and attach relevant videos, websites, documents and more.
3. Save time at the photocopier when you use the “make a copy for each student” feature.
4. Upload any file – PDFs, Office files, images – to Google Drive and assign them to students in Google Classroom.
5. Access Google Classroom from a web browser on any device to stay on top of work at school or on-the-go.
6. Connect with shy students online through the communication tools in Google Classroom and Google Docs.
7. Save trees (and money) when you go paperless with Google Classroom.
8. Share announcements with your whole school by putting all teachers and students in a “class”
9. Create a class for each subject or learning level and assign different materials to personalize learning.
10. Set up Google Classroom for younger students who don’t use Gmail by having your admin create Drive accounts for them.

Find more education infographics on e-Learning Infographics


For resources on learning Google Classroom go to the website 
WRSD Google Apps PD & Tutorials - Classroom.

Google Classroom is available NOW at WRSD.

Classroom is a new tool in the Google Apps for Education suite and available for WRSD. It’s designed to give teachers more time to teach and students more time to learn. Classroom is basically a web-based platform for easier management of assignments and projects. With Classroom, teachers can create and organize assignments quickly, provide feedback efficiently, and communicate with their classes with ease and initiate real time discussions. Classroom lets students organize their work in Google Drive, complete and turn it in, and communicate easily with their teachers and peers.  It may well be described as the "classroom of the future." The tool can also allow students to maximize the way they use their Google Chromebooks and other laptops and mobile devices.

How to get started? Go to http://classroom.google.com/ and you will see the screen below.

Let Google know your role as Teacher and then select  SUBMIT   

Now you’re ready to get started!

These are resources that will help you setup your classroom NOW!

• Product Overview
• Getting started steps from August workshop
• Learning tutorial and help center

If you want a more traditional introduction and help in setting up Google Classroom for your students, I will be conducting Tech Tuesday’s in September to do just that!

• Tuesday, September 9th (2:45pm HS/MS session & 3:45 Elementary session) &
• Tuesday, September 22nd (2:45pm HS/MS session & 3:45 Elementary session)

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Maria

Maria E. Pearson

Instructional Technology Specialist

Winnisquam Regional School District

603.286.4531  x211

My Blog - http://wrsdtechnology.blogspot.com/

Project Based Learning supported by Google Apps

Many of our WRSD classroom teachers are exploring project-based learning opportunities for students by encouraging multimedia projects. There are several aspects of Google Docs, Drive and Forms that can help organize and manage such projects effectively for teachers and students.

In his blog post below, Craig Leach from Common Sense Graphite, shares examples and templates for managing multimedia projects in the classroom, fosters group work through the collaborative nature of shared resources and promotes student peer assessment using online surveys.

Google Puts the “G” in Group Work

Craig Leach • May 6, 2014

Categories: In the Classroom, Teaching and Learning, Technology integration

MORE...

If you're interested in a project like this for your students, just let me know and we can make it happen together!

Maria

Maria E. Pearson

Instructional Technology Specialist

Winnisquam Regional School District

603.286.4531  x211

My Blog - http://wrsdtechnology.blogspot.com/

Check out this great math instructional resource for school and at home!

If you like Kahn Academy for math instructional tutorials, you'll really like this new online resource...

Virtual Nerd’s real math help tutorial system provides in-context information, hints, and links to supporting tutorials, synchronized with videos, each 3 to 7 minutes long.  Content support from middle school math to Algebra 2 and is align to Common Core standards.  Additionally, content is aligned to SAT and ACT math topics.

Virtual Nerd was originally developed as a supplemental learning resource for teachers and students, with a focus on middle school and high school mathematics.  The extensive library of instructional videos is available at no charge thanks to the support of Pearson Education.

Math teachers, this is a must have in your students’ resource tool box!

Reflector...Mirror your iPad(s) on your computer and/or projector.

Mrs. Lawrence's Class,
with a few students using iPads
at their desks.

Three iPad screens projected on whiteboard from the PC showing entire class three students
working simultaneously.

Mirror your iPad(s) on your computer and projector.

Reflector is an AirPlay receiver that allows you to wirelessly display your iPad or iPhone on your computer (and projector). Mirror your device on a big screen without wires or complicated setups. Play games, watch movies, demo apps or present on the big screen from your iPhone or iPad. With Reflector, everything you do on your mobile device is wirelessly streamed to your computer in real time!

AirPlay Mirroring is built
in to the device.
No extras needed. 

Reflector turns your computer into an AirPlay receiver for
wireless mirroring and streaming. It uses technology that's
built in to your iPad, iPod or iPhone to display content. Under
the hood, it works much like an Apple TV. There's no
complicated set up or need for adapters and wires. Once
installed, simply connect your device and mirroring begins.
Most newer Apple devices support mirroring and work
with Reflector. Find a complete list of compatible devices here.

Learn More About AirPlay Mirroring

Thanks Brenda for sharing this wonderful tool!
Maria Pearson

Rescheduled “Google & Chromebooks, What’s all the fuss?”

Due to inclement weather, we have RESCHEDULED 

our special parent community event to the evening of

Monday, February 17th at 6:30pm 

in the HS Cafetorium

“Google & Chromebooks, What’s all the fuss?”

This hands-on Chromebook experience will showcase 

several of our classrooms’ student learning activities using  

Google Apps for Education

Tech-Tips: Caution about Software Installations and Updates

Thank you Ken Bolia for this helpful document:

"Generally the IT department grants the primary faculty/staff user “administrator privilege” over their assigned computer. This allows faculty/staff the ability to update software, add new software installations, and grants the ability to change computer settings in which they would otherwise be denied access. However, this level of control, if not used carefully, can quickly lead to an accumulation of various “malware” installations which pose a security risk to the primary user and the district as a whole. The following tips will help you avoid infecting your computer."

WRSD Best Practices in Software Installation and Updating

7 Habits of Highly Effective Teacher Who Use Technology

7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teachers Who Use Technology

Re-post from TeachThought Staff (Original Blog entry) 5/11/13

In most ways, teachers that use technology in the classroom aren't much different than those that don’t.

Any teacher worth their salt assesses, and then revises planned instruction based on data from those assessments.  

They manage their classroom in a way that works for them, create a positive learning environment, and (great teachers especially) collaborate with a variety of stakeholders to make sure every humanly possible attempt is made to meet all students need.

But using technology in the classroom–and using it effectively–might require some slight adjustments on the part of the teacher to sustain the effort, creative problem-solving, and innovation required to actually improve learning through the use of technology. (And great administrators, too.)

In this context, Always Prepped recently released the following infographic that clarifies some of the habits highly-effective users of technology might possess. (We especially like 1, 3, and 4.)