The Year in Review - Resources to Support 2019 Reflective Engagement

I like to welcome back my students to the New Year with activities connected to the top stories and trends of the year. The goal is to reflect and make connections to our learning experiences. Here are some resources connected to 2019 in review.

What Are Some of the Best Educational Books of 2019?

I love books. All types of books. When I am not writing or creating, I am reading. I know there are many great books written by educators for educators and if you have a favorite that was published in 2019, I'd love for you to share it in the comments below or in this Padlet.

Here are some of my favorite educational books from 2019. (In the order I see them on my bookshelf.)

To Meme or Not To Meme Creating to Learn - Learning to Create

I always like to welcome my students back with a Reboot the Noggin Activity to start the New Year. I think it is important to get students reflecting and creating after a long break. I am still working on my 2020 New Year's Welcome Back HyperDoc and my Let's Start 2020 With One Word HyperDoc. I won't use both of these, but I am hoping one of these might have something other educators can use or modify for their students

Today I wanted to share my Meme Creation Resources connected to these activities.

The Best Chromebooks for Teachers and Learners

New's Flash - Students and Educators Love Chromebooks!

Maybe not a news flash for most of us, but I still meet people who don't quite understand the value of a Chromebook. I bought my first Chromebook about 10 years ago because I was curious about the potential of the device to support teaching and learning.  I quickly realized that I could do 90 percent of what I do on the device. Today, I don't miss my Windows Laptop or MacBook Pro at all. 

Why Chromebooks?

• When Chromebooks are compared to similar PC and Mac options, they are very affordable.
• Chromebooks boot up in seconds.
• Chromebooks update quickly.
• Chromebooks rarely crash or freeze up.
• Touchscreen Chromebooks include access to an incredible suite of Android Apps.
• Google Drive has evolved into a very powerful productivity suite that includes powerful word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, and drawing tools.

Which Chromebooks are the best?

This is a tough question, because I don't think you can go wrong with any Chromebook. That being said, the more you spend the better the device. Here are a few of my current favorites. I am writing this post using a Pixelbook Go. I love my Pixelbook, but I do feel there are better values when looking at Chromebooks. 

The 12 Days of Ditch Summit - Have Your Signed Up For This Incredible Free PD?

I’m signed up for a GREAT free online conference for teachers in December and wanted to tell you about it.
It’s called the Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit. There are nine video presentations from awesome presenters on topics related to tech and solid teaching and learning. 

Get your free ticket at: DitchSummit.com.

Visual Display Resources for Classroom Projectors and Flat Screens (Timers, Clocks, and More)

I don't spend much time in the front of my classroom, but I still think it is important for students to have something to focus on as we engage in student-centered learning experiences. Today's post is all about creative ways you can display images, daily objectives, timers, clocks, and more for your students.

My personal favorite for displaying something in the classroom is Google Slides. I have a unit calendar for my AP Environmental Science class that I use to display the daily agenda. This is always up when students enter the classroom and we also use it at the end of the classroom to reflect on the class and plan for tomorrow.

Avatar Creation Resources for Teachers and Students

First I want to apologize for not blogging as much as I should in 2019. It's been a busy year for a variety of reasons and I have not done a great job prioritizing everything that is important to me. I am making a commitment to blog at least once a week for 2020 and I am starting early with this post.

I always like to welcome my students back with a Reboot the Noggin Activity to start the New Year. I think it is important to get students reflecting and creating after a long break. I am still working on my 2020 New Year's Welcome Back HyperDoc and my Let's Start 2020 With One Word HyperDoc. I won't use both of these, but I am hoping one of these might have something other educators can use or modify for their students

Today I wanted to share my Avatar Creation Resources connected to these activities.

Digital Resources for Social Studies Education

We are working on updating our collections of digital resources for different content areas. Today the focus is on Social Studies Resources for K-12 education

Digital Social Studies Resources for K-12 Teachers & Students