New classes...new faces...new energies...and 2018-2019 is off to a great start!
This year, I will teach/lead four sections of English 10, one of English 11 (have not taught this level in several years), and one of Teacher Cadets.
NEW! Each student has his/her own Chromebook. Sweet that the bell rings...they open up the computer...and to work we go. No removing computers from the cart, signing in...and so on.
So far...in my room...bandwidth has been my friend. This has been quite the problem as we placed all students and teachers (and their phones!) on at one time...approximately 2000 connections (hummm...with phones...probably many more). Yes, life has been interesting!
My newest best tech tool friend is the app Hapara, which connects to my students screens via their connection with the teacher's Google Classroom. So. Powerful. So helpful in combating a student's addictions to games. How do you spell Fortnite?!
AND...did I mention I have the capability/power to take a pic of the student's screen? With this empowerment comes my complete support of a 1-to-1 environment. My classroom has had computers for each student for nearly a decade...and this struggle to maintain control of their fingers switching screens before my body and eyes could view their screens before they shut down the not-needed site...has been real! So very real. BUT. No more! Yay! Life is just so good!
Sidenote: I have no problem with a student playing a game...now and then. Just. NOT. During. My. Class. Seriously, I am paid to work their brains from bell to bell...we have much thinking and typing...and reading and thinking...to do in my 80 minutes with them!
Theory 1: I have to repeat as much as I do because students' brains have been in the game world. Just a thought. Will gather data...and return with an update at some point! :)
What is your favorite tech tool this year? Please share!
My next adventure will be to utilize Flipgrid...more about that coming soon!
Happy new school year!
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