betterexplained.com

When a student is sitting down to do their homework, it can be very helpful to have a fresh explanation of how to solve a problem. This is especially true in math, where many times a complex formula is involved. Recently, I found betterexplained.com, a website that could be very useful in this process. 

Check out BetterExplained's Intuition Cheatsheet here. 

Classkick App

Many of our middle school teachers have begun using an app called Classkick, which is an app that allows teachers to share assignments with students, monitor their progress, and offer feedback. Another neat feature is that students can digitally raise their hand with the app to alert the teacher they need help with a section of the assignment.                                                                

Technology Integration Update

Although we are only three weeks into the school year, there are already some exciting examples of technology integration taking place at Carrollton.  Several teachers have shared information about their lessons, including second grade teacher Kayla Pape and middle school teacher Julie Roebuck.

Kayla recently divided her students into groups and used the Rekenrek iPad app with them. She displayed her own iPad using the projector and asked the students to solve problems.

For those who aren’t familiar with it, Rekenreks is an abacus-like app that allows students to solve math problems.

Julie is working with another middle school teacher, Greg Platt, to combine Language Arts and Social Studies lessons. The topic of their combined lesson is the various types of government attempted by the ancient Greeks.

Julie created a Google Site for her students, and distributed her project’s instructions and provided videos for her students. Ultimately, her students are going to have to write and perform a short skit to teach their classmates about the form of government.

If you know of any other technology lessons taking place at Carrollton, please be sure to share them with me at matt.white@carrolltonschools.org.

Introducing Answer Garden

AnswerGarden is a classroom feedback tool. It can be used to gather real-time information and audience feedback. It also makes a great group brainstorming tool.

You can find it at: 
https://answergarden.ch

AnswerGarden does not require you to create an account

How to use it:

1. Navigate to  https://answergarden.ch with a computer, iPad, or Chromebook. 
2. Click the plus sign in the top-right corner. Type in your question. 
3. Students open the AnswerGarden app on an iPad and type on the question to answer it.

Students do not have to navigate to a website or spend much time find the question.  

Virtual Field Trips

Get out of your classroom ... well, sortof. Take your students on a virtual field trip! 

Here are some travel destinations:

• Smithsonian - National Portrait Gallery
• Smithsonian - Museums and Zoos
• The Field Museum
• NASA
• The British Museum
• The British Science Museum
• Nation Women's History Museum
• Memorial Hall Museum
• American Museum of National History

If you're hoping for more of a guided tour, then maybe these will interest you:

• Smithsonian Virtual Tour
• Artic Tour
• Moon Tour
• Google Art Project
• World Wonders Project
• Eternal Egypt
• Explore the Rainforest
• Many Virtual Fieldtrips