Play with Sway!
So… Microsoft has this cool presentation tool called Sway. Have you seen it? It’s different than PowerPoint in the way it’s constructed, the interface, and the very way it moves. It’s another way to get your message out there and another option to offer your students when it comes […]
Who Showed Up?
So you want to start an edu-team? Maybe you’ll form a PLC that’s really going to have an impact, make a difference, affect change. Maybe you’re looking to get the right people on board or choose a power group of like-minded educators. Your ambition is noble, your mindset ideal – just make sure […]
PARCC Prep: Teaching Test Navigation Skills At The Elementary Level
In the past three years, my school district has participated in conducting the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test with students in grades three through twelve. As a computer teacher at the elementary level, I have been a critical part of the testing team. I have seen the practice tests and […]
No Phone, No Tablet, No Problem – Scan QR Codes With Your Computer
This is a ridiculously simple blog post, but one that might really come in handy for those of you who still don’t have a lot of handheld or mobile computing devices like smartphones or iPads. You can scan QR codes using a webcam on a regular computer!
The site is called Web […]
Forego the Fizzle
It happens all too often. Someone has a great idea. It gains momentum, picks up speed, maybe even gathers new participants. Heck, sometimes a committee is born. Now it’s an all-out awesome idea! A movement – a movement with a vision and a purpose and objectives. The anticipation and optimism are palpable. The […]
Quizzy – Quick & Easy!
First of all, I just like saying Quizzy. Second, it is THE EASIEST tool I have come across yet for making quick and simple multiple choice quizzes for your students. By far! You could literally create one of these while your students get up and wiggle to a
New Name, Same Stuff!
Hi old friends! It was time for a change. My Primary Techspiration has evolved and earned a new name – Integration Innovation.
There are two main reasons for this name change. First, I’m kind of branding myself. As I’ve learned and grown and started branching out, I’ve zeroed in on a couple of areas […]
Voice Typing with Speechnotes
There are many voice-to-text sites that are now available to us, but one of the nicest and easiest I have found to use is Speechnotes. This blog post will be simple and quick, like the site, because it’s honestly just an intuitive piece of technology. What a wonderful and simple tool […]
What Digital Leadership Means To Me (Being Connected)
I’ve been on an incredible journey for the past several years. I have been scooped up and sucked into the magical vortex of being a truly connected educator. This means that I’ve gotten my head out of the hypothetical sand that is ‘just my school’ or ‘just my district’ and I have made […]
Thoughts on Collaborative Peer Coaching
I was recently asked to consider some advantages and disadvantages of the practice of peer coaching. This is different from the subject-specific edu-coach model we hear so much about these days. This isn’t a Literacy Coach, a Math Coach or a Tech Coach. This is old-style, tried-and-true, perhaps forgotten, real, collaborative PEER coaching. It […]
A Googly Halloween
Gotta love Halloween! We get to dress up as anything we want, pretend a little, and maybe live out a fantasy for a few hours. When I heard that all of the teachers at my school were planning on wearing scrubs for Halloween, an idea popped into my head and it just kept […]