April 24, 2017

TIS & THAT Volume 5, Issue 17

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: DESMOS

more than just a graphing calculator

Apps in Physical Education and Health

SKYPE

connecting classrooms across the globe

WVLEARNS

flexible classes that fit a busy teacher's schedule

WV PBS LEARNING MEDIA

one of the state's best kept secrets Photo used with permission from Samuel Getty

As the weather starts to warm up, it may be difficult to imagine how technology could possibly be integrated into a physical education class, but it’s something many health and physical education teachers do daily. Below are two apps used by PE and health teachers at University High School.

Living on Mars One day in the future, humans will travel to mars and live there. They will have experiments like gardening and taking care of animals.

On February 23rd, 2nd grader Taranom Rajee was announced as the West Virginia regional winner in the 9th annual Doodle4Google competition. Taranom was very surprised when her name was announced as the winner during a Google-led assembly at North Elementary.

The theme for this year's contest was "What I see for the future."

My Fitness Pal This app allows users to track calories, other nutritional facts, and exercise. Users can easily check nutritional facts because the app has a large food database that includes many foods from popular restaurants. They can simply type in the food they consume and use the database to determine the nutritional facts. The app also has a barcode scanner that can be used to find out information about an item. It’s very eye opening to see how many calories are consumed each day and the calorie content of each food item. This would be very beneficial in a health class where they are learning about nutrition.

Run Keeper This app provides more than just a GPS to track the distance users have run. It also allows them to set goals, follow personalized plans, and reminders to workout. It helps users stayed motivated by allowing them to join challenges, connect with friends, get workout rewards, and they can see their progress to see how much they have accomplished. Some other benefits include, audio cues about pace, time, and distance, and they can connect with Spotify.

Desmos: More than just a Graphing Calculator

by Beth Getty When someone mentions Desmos, the first thought that often comes to mind is graphing calculator. Prior to this year, I thought of Desmos as just a graphing calculator, but recently learned it was much more than just that. http://Desmos.com does provide students with a free graphing calculator that they can use on their computers, smart phones, and they can even download an official app. Students simply type in their equation and their graph shows up instantly on the coordinate plane. This feature of Desmos is beneficial to students and schools that can’t afford expensive graphing calculators. The Desmos site also features several accessibility features for students who need them.

Above is a screenshot that shows the graphing calculator found on Desmos's website. Screenshot used with permission from Desmos Chief Academic Officer, Dan Meyer.

But wait, there’s more! Heading to the website http://teacher.desmos.com provides teachers with a wealth of classroom activities. This site offers teachers premade activities that fall within certain bundles (mathematic topics) as well as other topics that are searchable. To start an activity, teachers click on the activity of their choice then click create class code. Students then head to http://student.desmos.com and enter in the code provided by the teacher. The teacher has the ability to see what each student has answered on their teacher computer as the students work through problems. These activities remind me of interactive worksheets, as students are actively engaging with problems and teachers see live results. To top it off, these activities are all completely free!

Above is a screenshot of the teacher screen on Desmos. Student names are able to be made anonymous so teachers can project responses without students knowing who is who.

SKYPE: Connecting Classrooms Worldwide

by Cindy Modecki

Skype Connecting Classrooms World Wide

Where to Connect with Other Classrooms Twitter @MysterySkype Google+ Mystery Hangouts Community

Have you ever thought about digitally connecting with another classroom in WV, the U.S, or the World? With your WVDE Office 365 account you have the ability to do just that! To get started, visit https://education.skype.com/mysteryskype and log in using your Office 365 credentials. From there, you will learn about all of the virtual learning opportunities you have at your fingertips: virtual field trips, guest speakers, Skype lessons, Skype collaborations & the very popular Mystery Skype.

Kindergarten through 5th grade teachers at North Elementary, in Morgantown, are using Skype in a variety of ways to help students develop their abilities to think critically, collaborate, create, & communicate. Mrs. VanHorn’s kindergarten class is beginning to regularly Skype with another kindergarten class on the west coast. They are discussing books & sharing their own writing!

In Mrs. Weigand’s 3rd grade class, students were allowed to participate in their first Mystery Skype as the culminating event following a unit on regions.

And 5th grade teachers at North are using Mystery Skype for research motivation. Before Skyping, students are researching facts about West Virginia, & collaboratively creating a digital presentation that can be shared at the conclusion of the Skype. So far classrooms at North have connected with classrooms in California, North Carolina, New York, Illinois, and Canada.

Our students are so used to being digitally connected 24/7 why not bring that digital connection into your classroom & watch student engagement skyrocket? See for yourself! Check it out at https://education.skype.com/mysteryskype!

Click here to check out the GoNoodle Mystery Skype song!

Kindergarten students at North Elementary participate in a Mystery Skype

by Cindy White

WV Learns

After just finishing a class in making a Virtual Field Trip, I can say that WV Learns has come a long way from its humble beginnings. WV Learns now offers an array of classes set up for teacher flexibility and best of all . . . it's FREE. Unless, you want non-degree graduate credit, then there is a small charge from $95 to $210.

Classes are seven weeks long and are proctored by knowledgeable educators. Registration began April 1st and classes start May 3rd. Listed below are a few of the twenty-five classes offered this term. Read about this great opportunity right at your back door at the following link: https://wvde.state.wv.us/elearning .

• Classroom Management for Active WV Educators • Creating Your Personal Learning Network (PLN) for Active WV Educators • Cyber Safety for Educators for Active WV Educators • Developing and Implementing WebQuests for Active WV Educators • Digital Citizenship for Active WV Educators • Digital Citizenship for Administrators, WV Central Office Staff and WV County/School Support Staff • Early Childhood Read Aloud Strategies and Practices • Getting Ready for Algebra Using Virtual Manipulatives for Active WV Educators • Improving Reading and Writing in the Content Area for Active WV Educators • Incorporating Primary Resources in Social Studies for Active WV Educators

by Cindy White

WV PBS Learning Media

West Virginia Public Broadcasting System’s Learning Media website may be one of the state’s best kept secrets. Within the Learning Media site, teachers and students can access activities for core subjects like math and English as well as electives like art or vocational.

Check out a few of the following links: Social Studies: “West Virginia: A Digital Primer”: http://wvstatemuseumed.wv.gov/Resource%20Guide.html Art: “ArtVoiceWV”: https://wv.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/artvoicewv/ Science: “Earth Day Resources”: http://wvpublic.org/post/earth-day-resources-grades-k-12 If those links don’t have what you are looking for, try the main Learning Media website: https://wv.pbslearningmedia.org/. Use the SEARCH bar to find your topic of choice or browse by ‘Newest Content’ or ‘Most Popular’. Have fun with learning at WV PBS Learning Media.

Up Coming Events Call for

RESA 6 Meeting 4/26/17 RESA 6 Office RESA 8 Meeting 4/27/17 Spring Mills High RESA 7 Meeting 4/28/17 RESA 8 Office

WVSTC Presentation Proposals submit to WVSTC.com

WV Statewide Technology Conference July 18-20, 2017 Marriot at Waterfront Place Morgantown, WV

on or before April 29, 2017

Newsletter Contributers Beth Getty

Cindy Modecki

Cynthia White

Beth is a special education teacher at University High School in Morgantown.

This is her 5th year teaching there.

She previously taught prek and kindergarten in Louisiana. Beth earned her bachelors degree from St. Joe's in Philadelphia and masters degree from LSU. Geaux Tigers!

Cindy is finishing her first year as TIS at North Elementary in Morgantown. Prior to moving back home to WV, Cindy spent the past 12 years working as an elementary Reading Specialist in Westminster, Maryland. Cindy earned double Masters degrees from WVU in Secondary Ed & Reading. Prior to that Cindy earned a Bachelor degree in Social Work from Marshall University.

Cynthia (Cindy) White has been a teacher since 1996 teaching both English and Social Studies throughout her career. She taught for sixteen years at Scott High School before trying her hand at teaching in institutional education.

Teaching in corrections presents a challenge as no two days are ever the same. Cindy graduated from West Virginia State University with a B.S. in education. Cindy loves to travel and most recently went to Niagara Falls.