SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Anytime/Anywhere

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SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Agency, Performance Assessment, Feedback Cycle, Anytime/Anywhere, Move When Ready, Equity

Blog Entry ("Game-Based Learning and Classcraft")

Blog Entry ("Creating an RPG adventure for your classroom")

Classcraft "Primer" Google Doc (Helpful first steps on how to use Classcraft)

In our transformation of student learning to be more personalized, we recognize the challenges in teaching and reinforcing the so-called "soft skills" or "executive functioning": the ability for young people to cooperate, empathize, use time wisely, and so on. Classcraft uses gamified elements to help students grow their soft skills by rewarding positive behavior.  By creating avatars that gain "experience points" which can be used to upgrade their powers and equipment, students are motivated and engaged to be effective independent learners.

SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Agency, Feedback Cycle, Equity

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SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Performance Assessment, Anytime/Anywhere

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SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Agency, Performance Assessment, Equity

Click here for more information and resources.

While most digital tools (especially those on this page) could be used for flipping and blending your classroom, the following blog entries are recommended reading:

"Blended and Personalized Learning"

"Garlic Necklace, Not a Silver Bullet" (the importance of multiple tools instead of finding "the one")

"Flipping your Classroom: A Reflective Checklist"

Blog Entry: "Game-Based Learning and Classcraft"

Blog Entry: "Creating a RPG adventure for your Classroom"

What Kind of Gamer Brain are You?

Game-based and gamification learning (read this article to see the nuanced difference) have been gaining steam lately as a highly engaging way for students to acquire content, apply skills, and practice the 4 C's (collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and cooperation).  

SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Feedback Cycle, Equity

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SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Agency, Performance Assessment, Feedback Cycle, Anytime/Anywhere, Move When Ready, Equity

As most people know, G Suite for Education is a combination of things: a cloud-based storage Drive, a plethora of apps to create and collaborate, and more.  Shelby became a Google Domain in 2015.

Below are some links to helpful Google information (or click here to follow all Edtech Elixirs blog entries tagged with "Google Drive").  This isn't meant to be all-inclusive, but can give you a running start!

"Google Tips and Tricks: Greatest Hits Edition" (blog entry from 9/8/20)

Google Earth for Web

Google Meet

Google Cast for Education

Flubaroo, Doctopus, and Goobric (Google add-on's)

Google Keep

Google Jamboard

Google Shared Drives (formerly called "Team Drives")

Inserting Audio in Google Slides (and creative ways to implement it!)

Calling Out by Phone from Google Meet

Sending a Weekly Guardian Summary Email from Google Classroom

Leaving the district / graduating student?  Tips for what to do with your Google files & folders.

SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Performance Assessment, Equity

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Makerspace Ideas Google Doc

While makerspaces traditionally are thought of as library areas, the materials that populate a makerspace can often be integrated anywhere, into any lesson. This list, complied by Shelby staff, has a list of digital and non-digital ways that students can invent, design, ideate, and create.

SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES:

Teams: Feedback Cycle, Anytime/Anywhere, Equity

Stream: Agency, Performance Assessment, Anytime/Anywhere, Equity

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SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Feedback Cycle, Anytime/Anywhere, Equity

Click here for more information and resources.

SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Agency, Performance Assessment, Anytime/Anywhere

Click here for more information and resources.

In Shelby County, personalized and project-based learning are key elements in our goal for more student-centered classrooms.  

Julia Lyles (a former teacher at Heritage Elementary) created a website detailing her own journey into personalized learning, and is well worth a visit.

Also, here are some helpful blog entries:

"PBL and Eusessments" (read this first for an intro into the mindset of PBL)

"Project Blocks, Not Bells: PBL in an Expeditionary Learning School"

"PPBBL: Personalized Project-Based Blended Learning"

"Blended and Personalized Learning"

QR codes are an excellent rapid way of accessing material, typically a website.  With a QR code created and displayed, a person usually uses a smartphone or an iPad with any QR reader app (nearly all are free) to "scan" the code and get access to the material.  However, what if you don't have 1:1 smartphones or iPads?  And with something like a learning management system where you can easily just post a link, why bother with a QR code?

To the latter, an argument could be made for the positive kinesthetic nature of using QR codes (walk around and scan...); how QR codes could be part of "self-service" stations, especially for younger learners; how QR codes can be more than just links (for example, they could be a short message of text). To the former, a website called QR Code Generator allows you to scan via your browser; no program needs to be installed.  Just go to the link, give permission to your camera the first time you visit, and you can use your laptop as a QR code scanner!  At the same site, you can also create static and dynamic QR codes to save as images or print.  Lastly, you can now generate a QR code within your Chrome browser; here's how.

SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Agency, Performance Assessment, Anytime/Anywhere

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Screencasting is a great way for teachers to create a "how to" video, a flipped video for content acquisition, or personalized materials for their classes.  Students can also use screencasting for their own presentation needs.  Here are some suggestions:

Screencast-o-matic is a program that works best when downloaded and installed, although it can work inside your browser. 

Screencastify is another popular choice.  It is an extension in your Chrome browser, and videos are automatically saved to your Drive. (Note: the free version is limited to video lengths of five minutes.)

For more information and a comparison of the two tools, read this blog entry.

However, for students with Chromebooks, keep in mind that the device now has a built in Screen Capture tool that would even work when not connected to the Internet!  For more information, read this blog entry.

Last but not least, Macbooks have a built-in screencasting option.  Click here to view a how-to video.

SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Anytime/Anywhere, Equity

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SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Agency, Anytime/Anywhere

Click here for more information and resources.

SCPS CBE CORE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Feedback Cycle, Anytime/Anywhere, Equity

Click here for more information and resources.