FEB 2021 Instructional Technology Updates

 Here is the February 2021 Instructional Tech Updates.   

As February ends, the excitement of March and spring being right around the corner; and, of course, March Madness!   As the weather slowly begins to change, enjoy all the days you can get outside after a long winter in. 

EdPuzzle

EdPuzzle has been around for years now and  has been a driving force in student engagement especially asynchronously.  As you watch the video by EdTech Cafe on how to get started with EdPuzzle, keep in mind these target points. 

• Videos are enhancements NOT the lesson.

• Create and upload your own videos.

• The shorter the better.  

• Snip videos to make shorter or to highlight specific areas. 

• Include interactive/recall questions which are thought provoking.  

• Add Voice Over  to reinforce important points. 

• Give feedback in EdPuzzle or Google Classroom 

Lastly do not overuse EdPuzzle, you don’t want students to roll their eyes at another EdPuzzle. You are much more engaging then any video.

Google Meet Updates

Over the last several weeks Google has pushed out some updates to Google Meet.   Some of these come from the site Meet.google.com directly, but the new audio test can be used with students within their Google Classroom Meet Link.  The audio setup video should also help with setting up speakers in the classroom. This was a question which came up often as many teachers started the new semester and wanted  remote and in-person students live at the same time.

Black History Month

Black History Month or African-American History Month is February,  this observance originated in the United States and is now observed in Canada, Ireland, Netherlands and the United Kingdom.  It started out as Negro History Week in 1926 when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced the 2nd week of February to be Negro History Week.   This week was originally selected because on February 12 Abraham Lincoln and February 14 Fredrick Douglas were both born.  From there the first proposal for Black History Month was proposed by BLACK EDUCATORS and the Black United Students at Kent State University in 1969 and in 1970 Kent State was the first to celebrate!  Go Educators!!  Six Years later, Black History Month was being celebrated across the country when President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month.   Below are several resources from multiple resources.  

Using PBSLearning Media for Black History Month Educational Resources is a great way to get students to actively get involved in their own learning. Don't know how to use PBSLearning Media, check out this post for a walk through.

1. Charlotta Spears Bass | Unladylike2020
2. NOVA: Percy Julian: Forgotten Genius | Getting an Education
3. Exploring the Poetry of Maya Angelou
4. VIDEO - Black History Month - K-5
5. Early Elementary Interactives: Meet George Washington Carver
6. MUSIC Industry Icon: Sissieretta Jones
7. Brown v. Board of Education and Jackie Robinson's Push for Equality
8. Pear Deck and PBSLearning  Resources

Other Resources:

• Nearpod - Frederick Douglas Ethnic Studies 1844-1877
• African American History Month
• Edutopia - 6 Teaching Tools for Black History Month
• We Are Teachers - 33 Black History Month Activities for February and Beyond 
• Google For Education - Celebrate Black History, Culture & Identity
• Celebrate Black History Month - Junior Scholastic - Subscription Needed
• C-SPAN CLASSROOM Black History and Civil Rights - LOTS of Resources

Daryl Michael Scott, "The Origins of Black History Month," Archived February 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Association for the Study of African American Life and History, 2011, www.asalh.org/