Schoology can do that?

 Each week it seems like there is a new app that we can use to increase student engagement, foster creativity, or increase student performance. Many of these apps can be very effective, but it can be cumbersome to keep track of what does what and how many logins you have to different programs and sites. It has been awhile since we took a look at some of the lesser known features of Schoology, but many of these apps and features are available within Schoology with the added bonus of having all your students signed in with no additional work required! Some more popular apps and their Schoology equivalents are below:

1: FlipGrid VS Discussions with Video Reflection
Flip Grid allows you to create a grid of video based responses where students can make short reflections on their learning. In Schoology, it is possible to record video or audio clips as a method for any assignment or discussion. in order to do this, simply choose the microphone icon and follow the prompts to record.

2.  Poll Everywhere vs. Polls within Schoology
Poll Everywhere is a popular app that show real time student responses. Schoology has a similar feature that is located within the updates tab on each course page. Create a poll and students can respond to your questions and see the summary of what responses were.

3. Student Websites vs Schoology Portfolios
Many teachers use websites as a way for students to gather their work in a portfolio. Schoology has a built in portfolio feature that can be used as well. Click on your name in the top right of the screen and choose "my profile" in your profile, there is a tab labeled "portfolios". Here you can create pages and folders and even import assignments from Schoology.


There is a ton more that you can do within Schoology that emulates some of the more popular education apps. You can also add certain features like Khan Academy or other sites directly within Schoology. If you want to know more about consolidating the websites you use for teaching into one site, contact your friendly local Ed-Tech Coach!

Showcase: Engaging Middle School Students with Station Rotation

Station rotation is an instructional model that can be used in classrooms K-12 and any subject area. You can use stations at any point in a unit, from introducing a new concept to learning the “meat” of a topic to wrapping up a unit. Using station rotation in your classroom can give students the opportunity to dig into different aspects of a topic, helping them gain a deeper understanding of the content, and can increase collaboration between students in small group formats. The versatility of the station rotation model allows you to be able to incorporate it in ways that make sense for you and your students.

Jacob Cullen and Tristen Henry, two outstanding teachers at Blendon Middle School, have been experimenting with ways to incorporate stations into their 8th grade Social Studies classrooms. Recently, Jacob used the station rotation model to help students learn about the Battle of Yorktown. Two of the stations included activities using digital materials, while the other two stations included activities that did not require the use of a device. Watch this video to hear Jacob’s reflections about station rotation with 8th graders:

While Jacob's students were working on the Battle of Yorktown, Tristen’s students, in the classroom next to Jacob, were rotating through 12-minute stations focused on reviewing a unit on the causes of the American Revolution. Tristen designed three stations for her students to rotate through, one of which included students working with her to review concepts through playing a Kahoot! game. Another station included a collaborative activity for students to complete, while the third station included a list of options for students to choose from to make sure they had a solid understanding of the topics in the unit. Adding choice into the station activities allowed students to work on activities at their ability levels, supporting them in their learning while also keeping them actively involved in their learning. The way that Tristen structured her stations allowed her to work more intensely with one group while also ensuring that students at the other stations were on task and engaged.

Jacob and Tristen have approached the use of stations in their rooms thoughtfully and in full consideration of what their students need in terms of interests, ability levels, and time management, which allows them to implement well-designed station activities that fully support their students in their learning. Interested in learning how you can incorporate stations into your classroom? Contact your Ed Tech Coach!

#WestervilleWay

Showcase: A Westerville Teacher Discusses Blended Learning

Blended Learning and Personalized Learning are two of the more recent ways of visualizing instructional practices that meet the needs of all learners. While the theory behind these concepts - that all students should have content and activities that meet their needs available to them - is an easy one to grasp, the practice of setting up a classroom to differentiate for all students can be more than a little daunting. Heather Griffith, a 4th grade teacher at Fouse Elementary has been using Blended and Personalized learning techniques along with flexible seating to better meet the needs of her students. In this Showcase Video you will hear about:

- A typical day in the classroom

- How 2:1 Technology makes a difference

- Why set a class up this way? 

- How flexible seating helps these strategies

- Struggles and successes

- Recommended starting points for teachers looking to shift their teaching style

It is worth your time to watch the whole video, but if you are pressed for time you can skip to the points that most interest you by looking for the orange question bubbles in the video. 

Additionally, example materials are included below that were used to help organize the classroom and guide students in their activities. 

Daily plan for students to schedule their independent work time

Schedule from teacher perspective

Schoology and Google Classroom continue to move closer together with what they are capable of. Schoology has added Classroom-like functionality this year. For more on anything you saw, contact your ed-tech coach!

Using E-Portfolios in the Classroom

For years teachers have displayed their students' work on school walls and bulletin boards. However with the new digital age and more schools going paperless student work has become more easily shareable, accessible and more easily organized.  

Both students and educators need to share their achievements and to reflect on what they learn. Portfolios provide them with the ability to quickly and easily collect, organize, and share their work with others.

Schoology makes this feature fun and streamlined with their new e-PORTFOLIO feature. Located in your Schoology personal profile, portfolios make it easy to showcase students’ work, interests, and talents.

Above is a sample collage of items that were easily shared in the student’s Schoology portfolio. 

If you would like to try the ePortfolio feature but would like a help getting started, please contact your EdTech Integration Coach.

Look what Alcott Elementary 2nd Graders are Creating!

Check the fantastic projects Mr. McQuown's 2nd Graders are completing using Google Drawing. The first project the students created was an Arctic Animal Fact poster. The students worked in pairs to plan and create their poster.  They opened Google Drawing, inserted a background, an arctic animal clip-art, and a call-out cloud before typing their animal fact.  After completing their poster, each student shared their work with Mr. McQuown who then posted the work to an Arctic Gallery on his web site for parents to see.

The next project the students worked on was a Beginning, Middle, End story plan.  After reading one of the Magic Tree House books, Mr. McQuown shared a Drawing template with the students and asked that they each add a picture, a call-out cloud and type in the beginning, middle and end of the story in their own words.  

Finally, this week Mr. McQuown created an -ou and -ow Spelling Sort. The sort was shared with each student who then had to type in their -ou and -ow words and add an example photo of one of the words.