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2020 Winter Tech Bytes

by Naomi Harm

Pages 2 and 3 of 57

Tech Bytes Newsletter
2020 Winter Edition
Innovative Educator Consulting
Naomi Harm, CEO & Founder
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Happy New Year Educator Friends!

So thankful you have decided to tap into our 2020 winter edition of our Tech Bytes newsletter. As a collaborative global community of educators, we are bringing to you the very best teaching and learning practices, from our diverse educational leadership expertise, and creative facilitation experiences with students and teachers worldwide.

Our theme for this winter Tech Bytes edition is “Staying Connected, Creative and Collaborative During The Long Winter Months.” I have personally reached out to educational leaders that are enduring the extreme cold temperatures and winter weather conditions to add to the authenticity of this Tech Bytes newsletter. So I would like to give a huge shout out and gratitude-filled thank you to the following educators that have contributed their time, effort, creative expertise and “snackable content chunks” to make this newsletter so inspiring!
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*Tom Deris, Prior Lake-Savage Elementary Minnesota

*Maria Garbisch, Port-Washington Elementary Wisconsin

*Naomi Harm, Innovative Educator Consulting Arizona

*Jethro Jones, Administrator - Fairbanks Middle School Alaska

*Angie Kalthoff, ECT Manager - Tufts University Massachusetts

*Andrew McDonald, U-Ottawa Engineering Outreach Canada

*Val Verhunce, Hartford Union High School District Wisconsin

*Andrea Wilson Vazquez, Intermediate District 287 Minnesota
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Donors Choose and Classroom Funding Strategies
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Content Author: Tom Derris, Savage, MN
As an elementary teacher, I’m constantly looking for ways to improve my teaching. With limited funding, I often seek grants and other sources to acquire the things I want to add to my classroom. In the last 10 years, I’ve funded: 4 iPads, 28 Chromebooks, 14 tables with wheels a variety of smaller flexible furniture in order to design the classroom of my dreams. I’ve submitted 2 grants through a district-related organization, but I’ve mostly relied on Donor’s Choose. To date, I’ve had 7 projects fully funded with Donor’s Choose. I’m hoping to get my 8th project funded by February http://bit.ly/2rzAmtJ.

Donor’s Choose is a great place to start (if your district allows this resource). The online writing process takes about 15-30 minutes to write a proposal. The more projects you get fully funded, the more points you earn which will allow for bigger projects in the future. When a project goes live, I often utilize my social media to initially spread the word that I have a new project listed. I then share the link with my family, my friends, anyone who has helped fund previous projects as well as student’s parents. I remind potential donors that donations are tax deductible and that I would appreciate any help in spreading the word. 
Strategies and Tips for Grant Writing
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• Get your students involved in helping select the items for your projects. 

• Always have a project live as you never know who will randomly donate or fully fund a project. 

• Promote, promote, promote. Use every tool and resource you have to get the word out that your students would benefit from this project. 
Donors Choose and Classroom Funding Strategies
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As an elementary teacher, I’m constantly looking for ways to improve my teaching. With limited funding, I often seek grants and other sources to acquire the things I want to add to my classroom. In the last 10 years, I’ve funded: 4 iPads, 28 Chromebooks, 14 tables with wheels a variety of smaller flexible furniture in order to design the classroom of my dreams. I’ve submitted 2 grants through a district-related organization, but I’ve mostly relied on Donor’s Choose. To date, I’ve had 7 projects fully funded with Donor’s Choose. I’m hoping to get my 8th project funded by February http://bit.ly/2rzAmtJ.

Donor’s Choose is a great place to start (if your district allows this resource). The online writing process takes about 15-30 minutes to write a proposal. The more projects you get fully funded, the more points you earn which will allow for bigger projects in the future. When a project goes live, I often utilize my social media to initially spread the word that I have a new project listed. I then share the link with my family, my friends, anyone who has helped fund previous projects as well as student’s parents. I remind potential donors that donations are tax deductible and that I would appreciate any help in spreading the word. 
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Tom Deris
2nd/3rd Looping Teacher

Glendale Elementary
Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools

Instagram: @MrDerisOnInsta
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Tom Deris Contact Info
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Google Your Way - Improve Your Productivity and Enhance Your Creativity
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1. Google Forms - Create an Escape Room. I use this as a review activity at the end of an academic unit with students. Escape Room Google Form and Recording Sheet and 30+ Escape Room ideas.

2. Google Slides - Students recorded their persuasive speeches and uploaded their videos to Google Slides. We did a Virtual Gallery Walk where students opened the Google Slides presentation that housed all the students’ speeches, viewed the speeches, and left compliment comments for each student on each slide. 

3. Google Slides - Did you know there are built-in graphic organizers that are wonderful to use for any Reading or Writing unit? The students use and modify the graphic organizers for our reading informational text within our Lucy Calkins Units. The students create graphic organizers displaying information about their topic (animals) including Main Idea/details, Cause & Effect, Sequencing, KWL charts, and compare & contrast. 

4. Google Sheets - We all have students that may not be motivated to write or take notes as they read. I have found creating a spreadsheet to help a child organize their notes has motivated students who may need that extra support in organization. Here are more GSuite template ideas from @PintoBeanz11(Content Contributors: Maria Garbisch and Naomi Harm)
In Case You Missed It - We Got You Covered
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Google Your Way - Improve Your Productivity and Enhance Your Creativity
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1. Google Forms - Create an Escape Room. I use this as a review activity at the end of an academic unit with students. Escape Room Google Form and Recording Sheet and 30+ Escape Room ideas.

2. Google Slides - Students recorded their persuasive speeches and uploaded their videos to Google Slides. We did a Virtual Gallery Walk where students opened the Google Slides presentation that housed all the students’ speeches, viewed the speeches, and left compliment comments for each student on each slide. 

3. Google Slides - Did you know there are built-in graphic organizers that are wonderful to use for any Reading or Writing unit? The students use and modify the graphic organizers for our reading informational text within our Lucy Calkins Units. The students create graphic organizers displaying information about their topic (animals) including Main Idea/details, Cause & Effect, Sequencing, KWL charts, and compare & contrast. 

4. Google Sheets - We all have students that may not be motivated to write or take notes as they read. I have found creating a spreadsheet to help a child organize their notes has motivated students who may need that extra support in organization. Here are more GSuite template ideas from @PintoBeanz11(Content Contributors: Maria Garbisch and Naomi Harm)
STEM EDU Twitter Hashtags
In Case You Missed It - We Got You Covered
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Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners Through STEAM Experiences
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Content Author, Mariah Garbisch, Port Washington Schools in Wisconsin
The third grade students in my classroom love to learn! They thrive on hands-on learning opportunities that keep them engaged. My students learn through collaboration, asking questions, inquiry, and kinesthetic activities. I have a variety of learners in my classroom. Among my students, I have students with special needs, ADHD, ELL, and TAG. My students learn through a variety of methods due to varying ability and interest levels. As a veteran teacher, I have seen a shift in learning go from auditory to more visual and kinesthetic. Students want to see and discover for themselves instead of hearing it from others.

This is the first year that I have implemented STEAM lessons each week as well as incorporated STEAM activities within our third grade curriculum. This is when I see students in my class thrive! Students who may not share aloud very often, or may have difficulty focusing are actively learning during our STEAM hour! Behavior incidents have decreased dramatically to close to none. I have seen such growth in my students' ability to collaborate, persevere, communicate effectively, problem-solve, and learn new concepts and skills through various hands-on STEAM lessons. 
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