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Tag: #innercityschools

What is Nearpod & Why Should I Care?

What is Nearpod & Why Should I Care?

This is a question I get all the time here in our district. Over the last couple of years schools had moved away from Discovery Education and that funding went to this amazing program. Let’s take a look. What is Nearpod? To start off with, Nearpod is a website and app-based digital tool that lets teachers use interactive learning resources based off a slide format (think PowerPoint with engagement). Nearpod has a massive collection of prepared lessons. Last time I…

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SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Digital Learning Now Middle School Students

SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Digital Learning Now Middle School Students

This is the final week for our series on Computer Science in Middle School. In the previous weeks we heard from principals and teachers, this week we will hear from their students. I met with students from Zanetti, Kiley Prep and STEM Academy. Listen to these students’ experiences as they discuss their favorite parts of computer science in their classrooms. These students are just a small representative of the students who are loving Computer Science in their schools. If you…

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Reading Progress: Could This Be Microsoft Greatest Innovation?

Reading Progress: Could This Be Microsoft Greatest Innovation?

Year after year, Microsoft continues to make improvements and innovation. A few years ago, Microsoft created Immersive Reader and it was a hit. This tool had it all: a read aloud aspect, the ability to show parts of speech, a picture dictionary, translation into 60+ languages. You could also change font size, use a line reader, split up syllables, change background color. I could go on about this free tool that’s available in so many other great programs. You could…

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SPS Digital Learning Hour Featuring Middle School Educators

SPS Digital Learning Hour Featuring Middle School Educators

For this weeks episode we dive into a three part series featuring our Middle School Computer Science Students, Teachers, and Principals. I met with a few of our excellent Middle School teachers for this episode. I talked with Melissa Zeitz of Alfred G Zanetti Montessori School, Alva Laster, Jamie Carens and Gary Burgess of STEM Middle Academy and Lia Ashe Simmer of Kiley Prep Middle School. These teachers are are leading the way in bringing a great computer science curriculum…

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SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Middle School Principal

SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Middle School Principal

For this weeks episode we dive into a three part series featuring our Middle School Computer Science Students, Teachers, and Principals. I met with three of our principals for this episode. I talked with Principals Tara Clark of Alfred G Zanetti Montessori School, Luis Martinez of STEM Middle Academy and Julia St. Martin of Kiley Prep Middle School. These principals are are leading the way in bringing a unified computer science curriculum to our great middle schools, these interviews are…

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SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Dr. T. Alan Bush

SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Dr. T. Alan Bush

For our latest episode I met with Dr. T. Alan Bush, the Dean of Student at Kiley Prep, and former Middle School Science Teacher at John F. Kennedy Middle School. We had an enjoyable conversation on how Science and Math are connected and how that can help your students. You’ll also hear my dad joke about math, feel free to adjust and use it. I was thinking about summer when I came up with it. You’ll also hear a great…

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Top 5 PowerPoint Update!

Top 5 PowerPoint Update!

If you checked out the last blog post, you know that we are going through a bunch of updates that you might not have heard about regarding the main tools that we use here in Springfield. This week we are looking at PowerPoint and how amazing that it is. I’m not blowing smoke at you. When you check out these updates or Top 5s you will be amazed!​ Presenter Coach Improvements I cannot tell you how much I love the…

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Episode 111: Joanna Mineo

Episode 111: Joanna Mineo

In this week’s podcast episode, I met with Joanna Mineo from Brightwood Elementary School here in Springfield. Joanna is a newish to the teaching world, having graduated a few years ago and now she is doing a fantastic job teaching. Check out to hear all about her experiences as a new teacher and learning how to teach during COVID. Plus, you’ll have to check out how Joanna likes to take care of herself. Tools mentioned: PowerPoint Flipgrid Nearpod Schoology You…

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Mike’s Top 6 Microsoft Word Updates

Mike’s Top 6 Microsoft Word Updates

I love fall, while fall means summer is wrapping up (which I don’t love) it means that all our favorite systems get some fancy updates! This will kick off a whole series of posts about the main tools we use and the updates they get. The first one of those systems that we will explore is Microsoft Word. Word has come a long way from when I was using it in high school. Every year updates come to Word but, as a teacher, I think this is the best year yet. We are going to look at my Top 6 new…

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My, Oh My! Welcome to the New Year!

My, Oh My! Welcome to the New Year!

I know I ended last year with a quote from a Michelle Branch song, and it is only fitting that we start the year off with one too! This one happens to be from when she formed a band called “The Wreckers” with Jessica Harp. This band, for their time, was awesome and I still listen to the live album all the time.  My, Oh My Look How the Time Flied For many of you the summer was a welcomed reprieve from the hard school year. You took solace in knowing that we have made…

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