IHMS Tech Tips

Nearpod  is a free, interactive online teaching tool.  Common Sense Media says: "Teachers can use Nearpod effectively in the classroom to support student learning in a variety of ways. Give students opportunities for interaction and immediate feedback by having them draw on a map, respond to a poll question, post to a collaboration board, or take a multiple-choice quiz. Bring the world to your classroom by incorporating virtual reality and 360° views into your slides. Help students review key concepts through watching videos or reviewing notes. Teach elementary and middle school students how to use technology effectively, or use high-quality BBC videos to enhance lessons.. ." With Nearpod you can: Create interactive lessons in minutes: Integrate already made Slides, PowerPoints, photos, videos, etc. into one lesson Easily download pre-made lessons by using the Explore tool Synchronize and control lessons (think Kahoot) Evaluate students responses live or afte...

If you haven't been living under a rock in the last few years, you are probably familiar with the concept of augmented reality.  Augmented reality (AR) is " a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite view."     AR is different then virtual reality (VR) in that AR layers CGI on top of actual video/photos where virtual reality is all computer-generated.  If you've ever played PokemonGo or used a Snapchat filter, that's AR. At Indian Hills, we have 3 ViewMaster headsets and a couple Cardboard versions.  Both require that students have access to a smartphone and have the ability to download a free app.  Once they have downloaded the app, they simply insert their phone into the headset and go on a number of adventures.   There are virtual field trips to countless worldwide locations that could be applicable to the classroom.  The ViewMaster Des...

Adobe Spark is a creative suite where you can create posts, pages, or videos.  It's super simple to use and is a great alternative to Keynote, Prezi, or Google Slides.  It's free to create an account and students and teachers can do so using their district Google email account. Here is a quick video overview of all that students can do within Spark: I love using Spark because it provides templates for projects as well as gives students the option to record narration with their project. I had my ETC students use Adobe Spark video to create videos of Indian Hills for upcoming 7th graders.  Here are a few examples: Olivia's random information Violet's stuff you need to know Liam's IHMS basics Freetech4teachers also offers some great suggestions on how to use the different features: Post: Post is the part of the Adobe Spark that lets you create graphics like posters, announcements, and Internet memes. Students and teachers can c...

This is primarily for elective classes.  For core classes, you will want students that change hours at semester to delete their 1st semester class and join their 2nd semester class period. The first day back from break is a great day to visually see that all students are still in not only your correct Google Classroom, but that they are enrolled in Knight Time Google Classroom as well. The first thing you, as a teacher, will want to do is Archive your 1st semester classes.  You will want to Archive, not Delete so that you can reuse some of your posts. Archive a class: Sign in to Classroom at classroom.google.com . On the class card, click and select Archive . To confirm, click Archive . Next, create your 2nd semester classes using the format: Hour 2 Algebra (Hour ___ Course Name). You can reuse any post—announcements, assignments, and questions— from a current or previous class. This does not work with Archived classes. You can modify a post befor...