How Templates Can Save You (Time)!

How Templates Can Save You (Time)!

Have you used templates before? Templates create layouts for documents for you to use with your students which can enrich the activities you are doing in the classroom. Using templates can save you loads of time. Templates can also be thought of like graphic organizers, many of them are designed for assignments and help deepen understanding of topics and units.  You might be saying wait a second, “I thought graphic organizers are only for organizing a student’s thoughts”, and you’re right. The basic definition of templates means that they are reusable files…

Read More Read More

SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Alyson Santerre

SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Alyson Santerre

We’re back! In the latest episode of the SPS Digital Learning Hour I met with Alyson Santerre from Milton Bradley Elementary School. Come and learn all about her journey with technology in the classroom and her growth as a classroom teacher to be a leader in her building with the use of technology. Hear some great ideas for teaching reading remotely and ways that you can continue to use best practices developed through COVID that you can use even when…

Read More Read More

Episode 105: Digital Learning Playbook Module 3

Episode 105: Digital Learning Playbook Module 3

With this week’s episode we jump into module three of the very popular book, The Distance Learning Playbook, Grades K-12: Teaching for Engagement and Impact in Any Setting by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, John Hattie. With the SPS Digital Learning Hour podcast, we are talking our learning out loud. If you do not own this book, get it now and join us on the journey of discovery. You will also hear my thoughts and takeaways from each module.  This week’s…

Read More Read More

Saying Goodbye to a Friend

Saying Goodbye to a Friend

Back in January of 2020 I wrote about this exceptional tool, Skype in the Classroom. Just a quick recap of that article:  Skype in the Classroom is awesome!  Skype boasts six ways that you can connect to the world:    Virtual Field Trip    Skype Collaborations    Mystery Skype    Guest Speakers    Theme Collections/Lesson Plans   Special Events   Fast forward to December 2020 and this tool is changing. As Microsoft has continued to invest in Microsoft Teams and Flipgrid, they are discontinuing Skype in the Classroom during the summer of 2021. You might remember…

Read More Read More

Creating Balance

Creating Balance

It’s Sunday Night. A year ago, you would have been finalizing your plans for the next week and finishing up your grading so you can give work back on time. For most of us, we would have had some time for ourselves to read or watch a show, maybe we would have gone for a hike, or had a nice dinner with family and friends. That would have been 12 months ago before we entered this uncertain time. In today’s world of teaching, we are isolated at our homes…

Read More Read More

Episode 104: Minecraft Full Teacher Interviews

Episode 104: Minecraft Full Teacher Interviews

If you missed it, in Episode 103 we meet with various teachers, students and parents from Liberty Elementary School in Springfield to discuss Minecraft in the classroom. When I was talking with everyone, I quickly realized that I needed to share the whole interview with the teachers, as they gave me so much good stuff, but I did not want to make a 2-hour episode, I’m not Joe Rogan. So, I am producing two separate podcasts with the full interviews…

Read More Read More

SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Kristyn Brannigan

SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Kristyn Brannigan

In the latest episode of the SPS Digital Learning Hour, I met with Kristyn Brannigan. She is a classroom teacher from Alice B. Beal Elementary School here in Springfield. With over 15 years of experience, you will learn all about what it’s like to be a teacher that has had the opportunity to teach in schools around the world. In this episode you will learn all about her journey, you’ll get to hear some great ideas on teaching remotely, including…

Read More Read More

SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Catherine Murphy

SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Catherine Murphy

That’s right, we are back with another episode of the SPS Digital Learning Hour. In this week’s episode we met with Catherine Murphy, a Kindergarten Teacher from Arthur T. Talmadge Elementary School. Catherine is doing some amazing work in the classroom. During this magical year, she introduces many students to what school is all about. As a CSForAll teacher, she integrates a lot of technology into her class pre-COVID, which excites her students throughout the year. If you have ever…

Read More Read More