Ask The Tech Coach

Latest Episodes:

How To Assess the Digital Learning Skills of your Staff Members Aug 21, 2018

Show notes

In this episode of “Ask the Tech Coach,” Nick and Jeff look at the many ways that school districts can assess the technology skills of staff members. For many tech coaches, the collection of useable and actionable data is the basis for their entire programs. In this show, we look both at traditional surveys that tech coaches can use as well as nontraditional assessment methods for quickly identifying skillsets of individual staff members. In this episode, we discuss:

Reflections from Episode 12: How to stay organized while working in multiple buildings
How to work in multiple buildings and not go crazy?
Have a great website that is teacher friendly
How to work with contrasting administrations who want different things from you?
How to put yourself in more than one place at a time and not feel like you are constantly “missing” in the other building. (Out of sight, out of mind)
Summer Edcamp Wrap up
How to assess your staff members Technology Skills … quickly and effectively
What should your survey look like
When to survey your teachers
How to survey your teachers
The importance of collecting data
What do you do if nobody fills out your form
What happens next?

Join the TeacherCast Instructional Coaches Network!

Are you a Tech Coach or looking to become one this year?
Are you searching for support in your position?

The TeacherCast Instructional Coaches Network, is a dynamic Professional Learning Network designed specifically for Tech Coaches and designed to provide weekly support for all Instructional Coaches.

3 Distinct Professional Learning Networks designed to help you grow for network other Coaches and Digital Learning Leaders
Free Downloadable Templates and Coaching Resources that can be used in your district ... tomorrow!
Direct access to Jeff Bradbury and all off his "offline" content that he creates during the school year.
Exclusive TeacherCast and "Ask the Tech Coach" podcast episodes directly relating to the questions that YOU ASK in our PLN groups.
Weekly email check-ins to stay connected and discuss your Instructional Coaching program!
Monthly invitations to TeacherCast Instructional Coaching Meetings and Webinars
... and more!

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Follow our Podcast

The TeacherCast Educational Network | @TeacherCast
Ask the Tech Coach Podcast | @AsktheTechCoach
Website: www.AskTheTechCoach.com

Follow our Hosts

Jeff Bradbury | @JeffBradbury
Nicholas Amaral | @NamaralEDU

Join the Conversation

Our favorite part of recording a live podcast each week is participating in the great conversations that happen on our live chat, on social media, and in our comments section. This weeks question is:

How do YOU assess the technology skills of your students and teachers?

Tech Coach Tip of the Week

Even if you can’t get your teachers to trust you right away … don’t let that get you down. There is always time throughout the school year to make positive relationships.

Contact the Podcast!

TeacherCast.net/VoiceMail
Twitter: @AskTheTechCoach
Email: feedback@teachercast.net

Subscribe to “Ask the Tech Coach”

Follow our Podcast on Social Media

The TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network | @TeacherCast
Ask the Tech Coach Podcast | @AsktheTechCoach

Join our PLN

Are you enjoying the TeacherCast Network, please share your thoughts with the world by commenting on iTunes today? I enjoy reading and sharing your comments on the podcast each week.

Let’s Work Together

Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast | @JeffBradbury
Email: info@teachercast.net
Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail
YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube
iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes

Check Out Additional TeacherCast Programming

TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/tcp)
Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today)
The Jeff Bradbury Show (http://www.BuildYourEDUBrand.com)

Need a Presenter?

Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!

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The Importance of being organized while working in Multiple Buildings Aug 14, 2018

Show notes

In this episode of “Ask the Tech Coach,” Nick and Jeff take a look at several great ways to stay digitally organized while being an Instructional Technology Coach in multiple school buildings. In this episode, we discuss:

Reflections from Episode 11: “Three Things Every Tech Coach Needs To Start The School Year”Website ThoughtsFree vs Paid WebsitesFor School
For Home
To Build a Brand
Recommendations
Preparing Staff Members for the New School YearCreating Summertime PD that has a year-long effect on classroom instruction
How to keep Digitally Organized when working in multiple buildingsAdding things to you (Nick Add Here)Schoology now has a Google Assignments feature that will create a folder in your Google Drive with all assignments created within.Add Links to Schoology Posts
Organizing at the Top Level First
Naming Digital Files ProperlyUnderstanding the “DELETE ME” File Naming system
Adding (not moving) files and folders
Just 10 Minutes a day keeps the craziness away
On the Next EpisodeHow to create an Instructional Technology Self-Assessment for your staff

Join the TeacherCast Instructional Coaches Network!

Are you a Tech Coach or looking to become one this year?
Are you searching for support in your position?

3 Distinct Professional Learning Networks designed to help you grow for network other Coaches and Digital Learning Leaders
Free Downloadable Templates and Coaching Resources that can be used in your district ... tomorrow!
Direct access to Jeff Bradbury and all off his "offline" content that he creates during the school year.
Exclusive TeacherCast and "Ask the Tech Coach" podcast episodes directly relating to the questions that YOU ASK in our PLN groups.
Weekly email check-ins to stay connected and discuss your Instructional Coaching program!
Monthly invitations to TeacherCast Instructional Coaching Meetings and Webinars
... and more!

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Follow our Podcast

The TeacherCast Educational Network | @TeacherCast
Ask the Tech Coach Podcast | @AsktheTechCoach
Website: www.AskTheTechCoach.com

Follow our Hosts

Jeff Bradbury | @JeffBradbury
Nicholas Amaral | @NamaralEDU

Join the Conversation

Our favorite part of recording a live podcast each week is participating in the great conversations that happen on our live chat, on social media, and in our comments section. This weeks question is:

When working with teachers in your school district, what advice do you give them for keeping digitally organized?

When working with teachers in your school district, what advice do you give them for keeping digitally organized?#ETCoaches #EduCoach #EdTech #Edchat #LearnWithTC #AskTheTechCoach @NamaralEDU @TeacherCast @ISTETC

— Jeff Bradbury (TeacherCast) (@AskTheTechCoach) August 14, 2018

Explore these Resources

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

Tech Coach Tip of the Week

Don’t forget to breathe! It's just the beginning of the school year

Contact the Podcast!

TeacherCast.net/VoiceMail
Twitter: @AskTheTechCoach
Email: feedback@teachercast.net

Subscribe to “Ask the Tech Coach”

Follow our Podcast on Social Media

The TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network | @TeacherCast
Ask the Tech Coach Podcast | @AsktheTechCoach

Join our PLN

Are you enjoying the TeacherCast Network, please share your thoughts with the world by commenting on iTunes today? I enjoy reading and sharing your comments on the podcast each week.

Let’s Work Together

Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast | @JeffBradbury
Email: info@teachercast.net
Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail
YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube
iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes

Check Out Additional TeacherCast Programming

TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/tcp)
Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today)
The Jeff Bradbury Show (http://www.BuildYourEDUBrand.com)

Need a Presenter?

Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!

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3 Things Every Technology Coach Should Have Set Up BEFORE The School Year Starts Aug 07, 2018

Show notes

Congratulations, it’s a new school year and you are about to walk into the new term as an Instructional Technology Coach. The first thing that usually goes through your mind is a ton of questions.

What is a Tech Coach?
What does my school district think a tech coach is?
How will my staff find me and my thoughts and ideas?

What is most important to any Tech Coach is the ability to hit the ground running on the first day.

But how do you do this?

There are many blog posts that agree that the most important thing that you need when starting your school year is an open mind and the ability to make positive relationships? I absolutely agree that strong working relationships are the key to any successful Instructional Technology program.

But what can we do before we meet our staff members?

The best thing that we can do when we meet our staff members is to be completely engaged in their needs and be ready to meet their challenges hand in hand. Your role as an Instructional Technology Coach is to make the teachers life a little bit easier and the only way you can do this is if you walk into the new school year with these three things neatly tucked into your back pocket.

1) Instructional Technology Website

When starting off the school year, it’s important to have an organized collection of resources from which you can not only deploy at a moment’s notice but share with your staff when they are seeking support. When planning your website, it’s important to remember that you are creating this website for your teachers and NOT for yourself. You don’t want to make the mistake of creating the perfect website that you adore but is not useful and friendly to your teachers. When planning your website, think about the low hanging fruit in your district and ask yourself if THEY will be able to find what they need when you send them a link to your resource site. Here are a few options from which you can build your resource website

WordPress

Over the last few years, WordPress has grown into a pretty amazing platform. So much so, that WordPress as an online environment now incorporates more than 29% of the entire internet. So why not use it for your Tech Coach website? For many, it’s simply overkill. Too many things moving around and too much time to keep it all organized with its many plugins and website themes. However, if you are looking to use WordPress for your Tech Coach blog, then here are some solutions that you might be interested in. For more information about WordPress, check out our online resources today.

Edublogs

If you are seeking a very easy to learn WordPress solution, I strongly suggest checking out EduBlogs. Hosting more than 4 MILLION educational websites, it’s one of the easiest and safest ways to create your home blog, or your tech coach website.

WordPress.com

A few years ago, I wouldn’t consider sharing WordPress.com on a review post such as this. However, recently, the mighty home of all things WP has grown up greatly. For free, WordPress.com has several free themes and options available for using the world's most popular web platform.

Google Sites

New to the educational game, but certainly an option that needs to be mentioned is “New” Google Sites. Honestly, I’m not sure after 3 fantastic years of being in the classroom we should still be calling it “new” but we will save that for another blog post. By using Google Sites, you are creating and even modeling very simple yet sophisticated web development for your teachers. Anyone in a G Suite environment should be taking advantage of how easy it is to create with Google Sites. To learn more about Google Sites, check out our online resources today.

OneNote

Where OneNote is certainly not considered a website, it should be considered as a vital tool in any educational environment using Office 365. By organizing your OneNote Notebooks into tabs and sections, you can create a very simple interface for your users by adding a table of contents page. For more information, visit our OneNote resources today to get started.

Learn about the new updates to Microsoft OneNote LIVE from ISTE 2018

2) An Appointment Calendar

Once you have your website set up, it’s important to have a way for your staff members contact you. Sure, it’s easy to use email as your primary communication tool, but your time is too valuable to be stuck opening up Gmail a million times a day. Instead of using email, consider using these address book applications for your digital communication tool this year.

Calendly

One of the more popular online calendar programs is Calendly. A Freemium tool, Calendly allows you to connect your online calendar to your Google Calendar.

Google Calendar

If you are not looking to add extra accounts and passwords to your toolbox, it’s pretty easy to create appointment slots using Google Calendar.

For more information about Google Calendar, please check out our online resources.
Check out our 5 Video Google Calendar Playlist and share these videos with your staff today!

3) A Professional Support Group

When you first accept your Technology Coaching job and you start planning out what you want to do during your first year, you might get overwhelmed with ideas. As the school year progresses, you might find yourself feeling a little awkward. As a Tech Coach, you are not a teacher, but, you are not an administrator. One of the most important things you can have with you as you start any new school year is a support group of other Tech Coaches who you can bounce ideas off of. There are several places that you can turn to for information, resources, and support.

Join the TeacherCast Instructional Coaches Network!

Are you a Tech Coach or looking to become one this year?
Are you searching for support in your position?

3 Distinct Professional Learning Networks designed to help you grow for network other Coaches and Digital Learning Leaders
Free Downloadable Templates and Coaching Resources that can be used in your district ... tomorrow!
Direct access to Jeff Bradbury and all off his "offline" content that he creates during the school year.
Exclusive TeacherCast and "Ask the Tech Coach" podcast episodes directly relating to the questions that YOU ASK in our PLN groups.
Weekly email check-ins to stay connected and discuss your Instructional Coaching program!
Monthly invitations to TeacherCast Instructional Coaching Meetings and Webinars
... and more!

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Contact the Podcast!

TeacherCast.net/VoiceMail
Twitter: @AskTheTechCoach
Email: feedback@teachercast.net

Subscribe to “Ask the Tech Coach”

Follow our Podcast on Social Media

The TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network | @TeacherCast
Ask the Tech Coach Podcast | @AsktheTechCoach

Follow our Hosts

Jeff Bradbury | @JeffBradbury
Susan Vincentz | @sv314dws

Join our PLN

Are you enjoying the TeacherCast Network, please share your thoughts with the world by commenting on iTunes today? I enjoy reading and sharing your comments on the podcast each week.

Let’s Work Together

Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast | @JeffBradbury
Email: info@teachercast.net
Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail
YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube
iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes

Check Out Additional TeacherCast Programming

TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/tcp)
Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today)
The Jeff Bradbury Show (http://www.BuildYourEDUBrand.com)

Need a Presenter?

Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!

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The EduProtocol Field Guide Mar 28, 2018

Show notes

In this episode of “Ask the Tech Coach,” we sit down with Jon Corippo and Marlena Hebern to discuss their new book Bring Your Teaching into Focus: The EduProtocol Field Guide available now from Dave Burgess Publishing. In this episode, we discuss:

What is the State of Professional Development?
How do we teach the 4C’s in less than 90 slides?
EduProtocols (Lesson frames to use with any content, and subject) The original: 8p*arts
The latest: Cyber Sandwich
The mindset and the goal of being textbook free (mostly)
How to create amazing Professional DevelopmentHow to teach the instructional technology coaches the skills needed to create change in the classroom
How to provide Choice in “weekday PD”
Where to find great resources?CUE ConferenceCUE Blog On.Cue.org
Check This Out Podcast with Bryan and Ryan
ISTE Conference
Tips and Tricks for creating the perfect conference proposal
How to create an amazing and innovative professional development conference

Join the TeacherCast Instructional Coaches Network!

Are you a Tech Coach or looking to become one this year?
Are you searching for support in your position?

3 Distinct Professional Learning Networks designed to help you grow for network other Coaches and Digital Learning Leaders
Free Downloadable Templates and Coaching Resources that can be used in your district ... tomorrow!
Direct access to Jeff Bradbury and all off his "offline" content that he creates during the school year.
Exclusive TeacherCast and "Ask the Tech Coach" podcast episodes directly relating to the questions that YOU ASK in our PLN groups.
Weekly email check-ins to stay connected and discuss your Instructional Coaching program!
Monthly invitations to TeacherCast Instructional Coaching Meetings and Webinars
... and more!

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Follow our Podcast

The TeacherCast Educational Network | @TeacherCast
Ask the Tech Coach Podcast | @AsktheTechCoach

Follow our Hosts

Jeff Bradbury | @JeffBradbury

About our Guests

Jon Corippo

Jon Corippo is the Executive Director for CUE, leading CUE throughout California and Nevada. Jon keynotes, leads and designs Professional Learning experiences all over the country. Jon's core PL skills are focused on 1:1 deployment, Common Core, Project Based Learning, social media skills and Lesson Design. Jon is the creator of the CUE Rock Star Camp Series, The CUE Rock Star Admin Camp Series and planner for the CUE Super Symposium and JET Review Program. Under Jon's Leadership, and with his CUE Professional Learning Team, CUE PL has trained over 32,000 teachers in 2015-2018. | @jcorippo

Marlena Hebern

The greatest compliment Marlena ever received was from a former visually challenged student, who said, “Mrs. H was my favorite teacher because she didn't care that I was going blind.” Over eighteen years teaching students from kindergarten through eighth grade, and the “opportunity' class Marlena learned that classroom culture is the number one most important thing in order to set students up for success. Great lesson design is close second. Marlena's lessons are often focused on student creativity and developing a student's sense of self-worth and community. Marlena is a Google Certified Innovator, Google Trainer, and EdCamp Yosemite co-founder. She holds a Master of Science degree in reading instruction and has been awarded a Beginning Teacher Support Provider of the Year Award. | @mhebern

Join the Conversation

Our favorite part of recording a live podcast each week is participating in the great conversations that happen on our live chat, on social media, and in our comments section. This weeks question is: What can you do as an Instructional Technology Specialist and Professional Development provider to create meaningful and authentic learning sessions?

Explore these Resources

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

Tech Tip of the Week

Are you looking to work with an innovative educator? Check out our latest post featuring some amazing Instructional Technology Coaches today!

Contact the Podcast!

TeacherCast.net/VoiceMail
Twitter: @AskTheTechCoach
Email: feedback@teachercast.net

Subscribe to “Ask the Tech Coach”

Follow our Podcast on Social Media

The TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network | @TeacherCast
Ask the Tech Coach Podcast | @AsktheTechCoach

Follow our Hosts

Jeff Bradbury | @JeffBradbury
Susan Vincentz | @sv314dws

Join our PLN

Are you enjoying the TeacherCast Network, please share your thoughts with the world by commenting on iTunes today? I enjoy reading and sharing your comments on the podcast each week.

Let’s Work Together

Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast | @JeffBradbury
Email: info@teachercast.net
Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail
YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube
iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes

Check Out Additional TeacherCast Programming

TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/tcp)
Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today)
The Jeff Bradbury Show (http://www.BuildYourEDUBrand.com)

Need a Presenter?

Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!

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How do we define Innovative Professional Learning? / Featuring Mike Lawrence Mar 10, 2018

Show notes

In this episode of “Ask the Tech Coach,” we sit down with Mike Lawrence and Dr. Sam Patterson to talk about the State of Professional Learning. Together, we take on the topic of Innovative Professional Development and share our thoughts about how we can create a culture of learning in our school districts that encourage teachers to think outside of the box. In this episode, we discuss:

The state of Professional Development in 2018How are we personalizing Professional Learning?
Voting with your Feet …
The audience becomes the presenter
Should teachers be seeking out of district Professional Development?
Professional Learning vs Professional Development
What defines innovation in 2018?
Something you do that is different
What does Innovative Professional Development look like?
STEAMPunk Professional Learning from CUE
Is Innovation and School Culture connected? (how?)
As a Tech Coach, what can we do to encourage teachers to continue their professional learning?
Where can Tech Coaches and Professional Development providers turn to for innovative ideas?
California Student Media Festival – free to enter, free to attend – mediafestival.org
New role at PowerSchool – Senior Director, Educator Engagement (focusing on: User Groups, Academic Advisory Board and Policy Efforts – just started!

Join the TeacherCast Instructional Coaches Network!

Are you a Tech Coach or looking to become one this year?
Are you searching for support in your position?

3 Distinct Professional Learning Networks designed to help you grow for network other Coaches and Digital Learning Leaders
Free Downloadable Templates and Coaching Resources that can be used in your district ... tomorrow!
Direct access to Jeff Bradbury and all off his "offline" content that he creates during the school year.
Exclusive TeacherCast and "Ask the Tech Coach" podcast episodes directly relating to the questions that YOU ASK in our PLN groups.
Weekly email check-ins to stay connected and discuss your Instructional Coaching program!
Monthly invitations to TeacherCast Instructional Coaching Meetings and Webinars
... and more!

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Follow our Podcast

The TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network | @TeacherCast
Ask the Tech Coach Podcast | @AsktheTechCoach

Follow our Hosts

Jeff Bradbury | @JeffBradbury

About our Guests

Mike Lawrence

Mike Lawrence has been impacting education as a teacher, administrator, technology coordinator and non-profit leader for twenty years. He is Senior Director of Educator Engagement at PowerSchool, powering student success for 32 million students. He served as CEO of CUE, a nonprofit educational association, driving 500% growth for over a dozen years. He also serves as Director of the California Student Media Festival; the nation’s oldest such festival. He served on the ISTE Board of Directors during a critical four-year term. During his tenure, the board transformed itself into a leaner, more nimble board. He is a respected presenter at international conferences and events. He was named an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2003 and co-founded the Google Certified Innovator program in 2006. In 2009-10, he founded Leading Edge Certification. In 2018, he was named a Minecraft Global Mentor. He has received honors from: CUE (Gold Disk, 2010), National School Boards Association (20 to Watch in Ed Tech, 2012), ISTE (Making IT Happen, 2013), EdTech Digest (Founder/CEO, 2014). He recently was tapped to serve on the UNESCO Expert Group on Mobile Learning, board of National Coalition for Technology in Education and Training (NCTET) and as an Expert Advisor for the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF). Mike is also a licensed youth soccer coach, former child actor and enthusiastic musical theater participant. @techmaverick | LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmikelawrence/

Sam Patterson

Sam Patterson, Ed.D., is a makerspace coordinator at Echo Horizon School, an independent school that offers a mainstream environment for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. Sam teaches grade PreK-6 to discover and learn how things work. Sam sees the makerspace as the ultimate literacy development lab. Kids want to learn how to do things and they want to share what they make. 11 Shares

Explore these Resources

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

Tech Tip of the Week

Innovative Professional Development doesn’t have to be time-consuming or difficult to set up. In fact, it could be as simple as teaching your staff to be creative with simple classroom items. Check out our latest post on Toy Hacking to learn more!

Join our PLN

Are you enjoying the TeacherCast Network, please share your thoughts with the world by commenting on iTunes today? I enjoy reading and sharing your comments on the podcast each week.

Let’s Work Together

Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast | @JeffBradbury
Email: info@teachercast.net
Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail
YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube
iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes

Check Out More TeacherCast Programming

TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/tcp)
Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today)
The TechEducator Podcast (http://www.techeducatorpodcast.com)
Ask The Tech Coach (http://www.AskTheTechCoach.com)

View LIVE Professional Development from TeacherCast

Join us LIVE every Wednesday at [8:30] PM EST: http://www.TeacherCast.tv

Need a Presenter?

Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!

Best Formative Assessment Tools For The Classroom Jan 09, 2018

Show notes

In this episode of AskTheTechCoach, we look at Formative Assessment Tools that can be used in the classroom. This week we were asked about different kinds of online assessment tools teachers can use besides websites such as Discovery Education, PBS, etc. for Science? Formative vs Summative Assessments When we discuss assessment tools, we have to look at both Formative and Summative assessments. Formative Assessments are used throughout a unit to help teachers measure individual student learning and adjust as needed. Summative assessments are usually the test at the end. I often wonder if a student does poorly, shouldn’t we then use it as a formative assessment? Tech Tools as Assessment Tools There are many tech tools to help teachers monitor and adjust teaching and learning. Some of the overall favorites are:

Kahoot is a fun interactive game based learning platform that allows the teacher to assess student learning. Students can use any device (desktop, laptop, chromebook, tablet, or phone) to log-in and take a quiz. One important note is to have students use their real name for tracking data. I personally enjoy when students create their own game using the material. The only downside may be that the answers are timed based.
Quizzizz is very similar to Kahoot as it is also a game based learning platform. The only real difference is Kahoot tends to be teacher-led and Quizzizz is student-led. Students are able to go at their own pace to answer questions.
GoFormative is another great tool a teacher can use collect formative assessment data quickly and easily. This tool allows the teacher to create a quiz or exit ticket. The questions even allow for a quick draw feature. The teacher can monitor as students are completing the quiz and we can even organize into different classes.
Plickers is an amazing tool if you are low on student devices. All you have to do is log-in, print out a set of placards, and add your classes. Each student will be given a numbered placard. Now all you have to do is ask a question, let the students respond by holding up the placard, and then use the camera and plicker app start to record student answers.
Edpuzzle: if you are someone who uses videos in their class, this a great tool for you. Edpuzzle allows you to add any YouTube video to it site. Then you can make the video stop, add questions, or add voice overs. The teacher will receive how the students did while watching the video. Whether you are flipping your class or just using in your classroom, we can collect a plethora of data from using Edpuzzle.
Polleverywhere is a quicktool that allows you to poll your students to check for understanding. Students will answer in real time and the teacher will see the results live. You can then take your answers and place them in a word cloud.

No matter your content area, teachers must use assessment tools to track student growth and progress. There are tons of tech tools you can use collect assessment data. If you have a tool that you use please let us know at #AsktheTechCoach.

What do you think educators?

On this episode of Ask The Tech Coach, we examine some of the most popular online assessment tools available for your classroom. Join Jeff and Rob as we discuss this hot topic of digital learning. What does that mean??? Hit the play button and check it out today! Don’t forget to subscribe to us in iTunes.

Join the TeacherCast Instructional Coaches Network!

Are you a Tech Coach or looking to become one this year?
Are you searching for support in your position?

3 Distinct Professional Learning Networks designed to help you grow for network other Coaches and Digital Learning Leaders
Free Downloadable Templates and Coaching Resources that can be used in your district ... tomorrow!
Direct access to Jeff Bradbury and all off his "offline" content that he creates during the school year.
Exclusive TeacherCast and "Ask the Tech Coach" podcast episodes directly relating to the questions that YOU ASK in our PLN groups.
Weekly email check-ins to stay connected and discuss your Instructional Coaching program!
Monthly invitations to TeacherCast Instructional Coaching Meetings and Webinars
... and more!

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Contact the Podcast!
- TeacherCast.net/VoiceMail
- Twitter: @AskTheTechCoach
- Email: feedback@teachercast.net
Subscribe to “Ask the Tech Coach”
Follow our Podcast on Social Media
- The TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network | @TeacherCast
- Ask the Tech Coach Podcast | @AsktheTechCoach
Follow our Hosts
- Jeff Bradbury | @JeffBradbury
- Susan Vincentz | @sv314dws
Join our PLN
Are you enjoying the TeacherCast Network, please share your thoughts with the world by commenting on iTunes today? I enjoy reading and sharing your comments on the podcast each week.
Let’s Work Together
- Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast | @JeffBradbury
- Email: info@teachercast.net
- Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail
- YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube
- iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes
Check Out Additional TeacherCast Programming
- TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/tcp)
- Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today)
- The Jeff Bradbury Show (http://www.BuildYourEDUBrand.com)
Need a Presenter?
- Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!
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Learning About Dissection and Anatomy Jan 08, 2018

Show notes

This weeks question came from a middle school science teacher who asked the question “Do you have any good recommendations on virtual tours of body systems, dissections, etc?” There are a plethora of app and websites teachers can use for analyzing human anatomy and/or participating in dissections. Some of the favorites are:

Dissections:

Virtual Frog Dissection– This program allows you to watch videos about the steps and the tools of a frog dissection.
Froguts– This is an amazing tool for schools. There is a cost associated with it but if your school/district requires an alternative to live dissections this may be the tool for you.
Salmon Dissection– This website allows students to use the tools to dissect a salmon. You can use scalpels, tweezers and more.

There are a plethora of free apps you can use by searching the app store. Make sure the dissection app is for students in K-12 education and not for college courses.

Anatomy:

Build-A-BodyStudents can use build-a-body to build the human body using interactive elements in each of the body systems. Each of the systems will provide facts about the systems.
Zygote BodyOne of my favorite tools I recommend to science teachers is Zygotebody. This website allows students to look at different body systems. This website allows you to look at the details of the human body through 3-D images. The free version is a great starting point for teachers using laptops or Chromebooks.
Daqri-4DIf you’re really looking to wow student’s, make sure to check out Daqri4D studio . According to Drew Minock: “Anatomy 4D allows students to explore the human anatomy in a meaningful and exciting new medium. It is extremely powerful to see your heartbeat in real time using the heart target and a Bluetooth smart heart monitor. Just link the heart monitor to your device and fire up the heart experience. You’ll see your heartbeat in the top right corner.”

If you have a tool that you use, please let us know at #AsktheTechCoach.

What do you think educators?

On this episode of Ask The Tech Coach, we examine some of the most popular apps for teaching dissection and anatomy. Join Jeff and Rob as we discuss this hot topic of digital learning. What does that mean??? Hit the play button and check it out today! Don’t forget to subscribe to us in iTunes.

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Creative Ways of using Google Slides with your Students Jan 06, 2018

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Keynote … PowerPoint … HaikuDeck … SlideShare These are all wonderful presentation programs. I can honestly admit that I use them just about every time I put together a presentation or prepare for a keynote. With these programs, you can create any type of slide that your heart can imagine. They are simple, elegant, and come on both the desktop and mobile platforms for all to enjoy. However… whenever you are asked the question “What is Google Slides???” Please don't ever start the sentence by saying… “It's LIKE PowerPoint…” because you are SOOOO wrong. On this episode of Ask The Tech Coach, we examine how Google Slides can be used in ways other than your typical PowerPoint substitute. Join Jeff and Rob as we showcase how one school in New Jersey is turning Google Slides into Google Frames. What does that mean??? Hit the play button and check it out today!

Topics Discussed

What are Google Slides?
How Can You Be Creative With Slides?
App Smashing with other Google Apps
Practical Applications for Students of All Ages.

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Google Classroom Is NOT a Website Jan 05, 2018

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Let's face it… we are all going digital whether we like it or not. Everything about our relationships, professions, family, and now even our classrooms is digital. Due to the fact that we need to look at a screen for any piece of entertainment or knowledge these days it's time to redefine what exactly is and isn't in the world of educational technology. Let's first go back in time together. Here is a question I want you to think long and hard about. What is the machine called that sits in your schools main office that generally gets kicked, poked, and cursed at on a minute by minute basis? Correct Answer: It's called a Copy Machine! Wrong Answer: It's called a Xerox Machine

What's the difference?

Back in “the day” I remember teachers telling their students that they just “Xeroxed” the days assignments. I can even remember working in the “copy center” at Staples where customer after customer would come up and ask for a “Xerox” of their latest and greatest. The point I'm trying to make here is this: Let's call things by their proper name and identify what is … and what isn't.

What Exactly IS a website again???

Today, most school districts require teachers to have websites. There seems to be a grey area in this. What is a website? What isn't a website? In one of our recent posts, we examined the difference between three of Google's free online content management tools to see what is a “website” and what the definition of a website should be. The blog post featured 3 highly respected educators each examining the in's and out's of Google Classroom, Google Sites, and Google's Blogger platform. The answer was a unanimous obvious conclusion that Google Classroom and Blogger are not “Websites” they are other things completely. The only “Website” tool of the three was Google Sites. This, of course, created much outcry from the Google Community with questions such as “What do you mean Classroom isn't a website?” and “What do you mean I don't have a website?”

The Typical Teacher Website

For many teachers, they are given a “webspace” from their district where they put up some information about their class including contact information and a syllabus. For many teachers, they never touch it until the following summer. As one principal recently asked me “Isn't that a website?” My response was “No… that is a poster.” The principal then asked me what my definition of a “website” really is. I explained that if an acceptable teacher “website” is a place where they can post basic information about their class including contact information and a syllabus… then they could easily set up a Facebook page, or a Twitter account with only 1 tweet, or perhaps take a photo of their desk and post if on Instagram and call each of those things their official class website. They don't tell anymore or less information about the class than a general welcome page would. A website, when used and created properly served as your digital book from which your lessons and actives would be tied to. A website is an interactive, living, breathing part of your classroom. A Website is not a blogroll and it is not a document management center. Does this mean that I don't like Google Classroom? Does this mean that I have a bounty on Blogger? Of course not. I use Google Classroom every day and I have created several for the projects I'm using in my district this year. I think it's awesome and amazing. I am even lobbying for the option of embedding the Google Classroom stream ON a website such as Google Sites of WordPress…. just think of the possibilities for total digital harmony.

What do you think educators?

On this episode of Ask The Tech Coach, we examine exactly what a website is and what a website isn't. Join Jeff and Rob as we discuss this hot topic of digital learning. What does that mean??? Hit the play button and check it out today! Don't forget to subscribe to us in iTunes.

Topics Discussed

Sites vs Classroom
Types of Websites
What should be on a class website?
Why we love Google Classroom

Additional Resources

The Great EdTech Debate: Classroom vs Blogger vs Sites

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Programming Robots with SPRK Lightning Lab Jan 03, 2018

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Sphero has just rolled out their new programming platform and community center, Lightning Lab. With this app Sphero positions SPRK programming alongside Scratch and other web-enabled platform. With Lightning Lab, users can have access to all of their programs no matter which device they use to sign in as the programs travel with the user's profile. Lightning Lab will make it even easier to use the SPRK robot in the classroom because students can access te instructions and starter code inside of the app. Teachers can make programs available to students to help them be more successful. Sphero has just rolled out their new programming platform and community center, Lightning Lab. With this app Sphero positions SPRK programming alongside Scratch and other web-enabled platform. With Lightning Lab, users can have access to all of their programs no matter which device they use to sign in as the programs travel with the user's profile. Lightning Lab will make it even easier to use the SPRK robot in the classroom because students can access te instructions and starter code inside of the app. Teachers can make programs available to students to help them be more successful. https://sprk.sphero.com/ Creating this new platform required a new partnership, keep reading to learn about how CWIST helped make Lightning Lab a success. Sphero makes app-enabled, teachable robots. SPRK Lightning Lab hub uses CWIST’s online platform to offer a free virtual community that allows educators, students, makers and parents to communicate about their projects. To get started users download the mobile app to program their robot. They can then log into the website and browse a library of activities and share programs with the community. Activities include learning how to program Sphero robots to simulate the atomic composition of liquids and solids, the motion of orbiting planets, and over 75 other activities built by Sphero and educators around the world. Educators can set up virtual classrooms, create lessons, assign activities, view progress in real-time and review student work. “Chris and his team [CWIST] have been a paramount partner in building our community platform for SPRK,” said Bill Cullen, Sphero Product Manager. “It's going to take our business to the next level for interactivity, community participation and collaboration, scalability and down-right fun for our users.” CWIST is a leader in providing content and an online platform for the maker movement. CWIST’s platform brings maker-inspired products to students, schools and consumers, nationwide. The partnership with Sphero is the latest example of how CWIST is working with leading making manufacturers to expand its reach to educators. CWIST’s platform packages partners’ content into custom, engaging learning experiences that continually drive fresh content and value to educators and consumers. “CWIST’s goal is to support the maker movement nationwide by supplying fun, engaging, educational activities and by providing a way for educators, parents, students, children and businesses to connect with each other,” said CWIST Founder Chris Sleat. “Sphero’s programmable robots and SPRK Lightning Lab offer exciting, fun, educational experiences. The new web platform with its activity sharing, authoring and classroom management capabilities provide true value to educators and consumers.” CWIST also offers maker projects that help students create amazing things while supporting parent and teacher goals. An interactive library of maker, doer, and get-moving challenges called cwists that are created by cwist, its partners, and the cwist community. Examples include learning geometry, physics, and coding, all while shooting a robot off a ramp.

About CWIST

CWIST’s learning platform turns partner content into custom interactive learning challenges that reward users, driving sustained engagement and extending a partner’s education community. The original installation, CWIST.com, is an award-winning, free maker education website. The site offers projects help to help students make something amazing while supporting parent and teacher goals. CWIST keeps kids engaged, excited and part of a community where they can add or find great new ideas every day.

About Sphero

Sphero creates robots injected with humanity and personality. That’s what we know, what we love, and who we are. Unlike traditional toys, our robots and software are changing the way people play, learn, and explore by fusing emerging technology with the latest innovations in robotics. As the industry leader in Connected Toys, we are defining the future of fun. Playtime just got real.

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