Category Archives: Educational Technology

All things EdTech, how to use EdTech, etc.

Tennis Debate: Civilized Debate Without the Yelling

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We had the opportunity to go spend a day at the Ron Clark Academy. One of the teachers we got to see was Mr. Wade King. We were looking forward to seeing the staff of the school in action, as we do things in much the same way… well, we thought we did. I guess we still do, just not to the same level, we have to be concerned about neighbors and noise.

One of the techniques we saw in action was what Wade called Tennis Debate. I taught this to my kids last week and it went extremely well. Continue reading →

Google Keep for the Classroom

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I recently decided to give using Google Keep in my classroom a try. Typically, most teachers that I have talked to about using a digital note taking platform espouse the greatness of Evernote. I’ve used Evernote, and it’s a decent enough tool, but I wanted to try something different. Something that the kids might enjoy as well. Continue reading →

Kahoot! Your Classroom! A Great Way to Engage Your Students

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Get Kahoot! It’s a game… no, wait, it’s a learning tool… yep, it’s both! We were introduced to the greatness of Kahoot! at the Mississippi Educational Computer Association (MECA) conference last year. Instantly, we saw the benefits. It has completely changed the way we review topics in class.

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@Newsela and @InsertLearning, a Powerful Combination

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PLEASE NOTE: DOCENTEDU IS NOW CALLED INSERT LEARNING. Look for an updated post soon on how to make use of this powerful tool.

In the past, I have written about both, Newsela and DocentEDU. At the time, I suppose one could say my vision was still developing regarding how to best utilize each tool. I have spent some time tinkering, playing, and trying to break them. I am happy to say, that not only have I found the perfect combination of each, I have utterly failed to break either… and I’m pretty good at breaking stuff.

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Google Newspaper Archive, a Primary Source Paradise

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Have you ever struggled with finding good primary source material for students? As an English teacher, I teach a lot of literature. I have always taught a good bit of non-fiction as well, but the reality is, there are times I wish I could teach more of it.

With the advent of Common Core, or College Career Readiness Standards, or whatever catchy name your state has given them, non-fiction text has probably become a much larger part of the expectations.  History teachers are expected to pick up a significant share of that load, through the reading of primary source materials.

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Using Google Forms for Back to School Night

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So, we had our back to school open house. As usual, the school was abuzz with excitement. It’s a treat to be able to meet all of our parents, a treat we really should find a way to do more often.

I decided that I would do away with the old fashioned sign in sheet. It seemed to make little sense to have parents fill out a paper sign in sheet when we are a paperless classroom. We wanted to give them an idea of how their kids are expected to work this year, so we did open house in our rooms paperless style.

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Google Classroom… a few little tips.

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My school year is under way. I understand that many districts around the nation, and the world, are not in session right now, but that time is coming, so be ready.

This is my second year using Google Classroom, and my third year being a paperless classroom. The experience has been a learning lesson the entire way. This year is no exception, but if we aren’t learning, what are we doing?

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