Using Google Maps in the Classroom

Over the summer I had a chance to listen to Micah Shippee at an EdTechTeam Summit and he opened my eyes to some of the features in Google Maps I had not even thought of. Here are some cool ideas and tips for using Google Maps in your class.

Digital Breakout EDU

After attending different EdCamps, EdTechTeam events, and other GAFE meet ups I found on #theEDUCal I finally had the chance to sit down and attend a Digital Breakout EDU session given by Tom Mullaney.  Tom's session was given during the NJ GAFE Summit sponsored by EdTechTeam.  Needless to say - it again changed the way that I look at getting my students engaged.

Google Classroom - Topics

 Google Classroom - Topics

One of the new features that I think has been overlooked in Google Classroom is the ability to give each announcement and assignment a TOPIC.

LMS Arts Festival 2016

I love seeing what students do when you let them work.  Giving students a platform to showcase their talent has proven time and time again to be an awesome experience at our Middle School and this year it came true again.

Scheduling Posts in Google Classrom

Another solid update has been released for Google Classroom - this one allows a much requested feature: scheduling posts for Classroom.

If you have ever created an assignment in the beginning of the day for your students and had your classes at the end of the day start and finish the assignment before they even made it to your class you know how frustrating that can be.  You will now have the ability to control when an assignment, announcement and even a question appear in your stream by following these quick simple steps below.

Google Classroom + Doctopus + Goobric = Awesome

Google Classroom has changed the way that I run my classroom - with announcements, assignments, questions etc. I have complete control over my classroom experience.  However I am a true believer that there is always something better.... someone who is very smart is always working hard to make my life easier - and they have done it again.

My Teacher Observation - Not the Danielson Kind...

Last week behind the efforts of my school's House Leaders and staff, I had the chance to do something I had not done since I student taught - observe another teacher in my building.   It was not for a grade, not for a rubric score - it was for me.  And it was everything I expected and more.