Blog Following - Erintegration

The blog I am following this semester is written by an educator I originally began following on Instagram. Erin is an educator who is passionate about integrating technology into classrooms K-12 and sharing her ideas with other educators through various social media platforms. She shares things like lesson plans, resources, reviews, and tips for iPads, Google, and other devices used in the classroom.

On her latest blog post, she shared tips and tech resolutions for educators in the new year. These tips include ideas like:
#1 Go to inbox zero - clearing out email and creating settings so that emails stay close to zero throughout the year.
#2 Organizing Desktop or Drive Folders - This can be done by using color coded backgrounds or folders
#3 Digitize Lesson Plans, Calendars, and Notes - use Google, Onenote, etc
#4 Back up Your Files - iCloud, external hard drive, or One Drive
#5 Clear Cache & Disable Auto Fill on Your School Computer - this is done to keep your information private and secure
#6 Utilize a Secure Sharing and/or Communication App to Connect with Parents -ie. Seesaw, Bloomz, Remind
#7 Set an Email Signature - provides important information for those who may need it like parents or colleagues
#8 Connect with other teachers on Social Media - This is a great way to gain and share new ideas, as well as receive encouragement from others
#9 Use different passwords on different sites 

I've already taken a few of her suggestions to heart and tried to put some easy things into place. I hope you find these as useful as I have. 

Comments

  1. Donna BrownJanuary 20, 2019 at 8:33 AM

    Nice post at the beginning of the new year, Kayla. One of my resolutions this year was #1 on Erin's list. It is not as easy as it looks in print!

    Donna Brown

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kayla BreamJanuary 20, 2019 at 4:31 PM

      It is very difficult! I have tried the past few years and seem to do good for a while but quickly get overwhelmed!

      Delete
  2. Cierra NicoleJanuary 27, 2019 at 11:54 AM

    I found this list interesting, especially the first one. The thought of emptying my emails is a little nerve wrecking. I always wonder if I need to revisit an email or show an email as proof for some reason and the thought that I wouldn't have access to it anymore is a little scary. I am trying to work on becoming more digital with my plans. My lesson plans are currently in an agenda as well as an online database, but I am trying to use my computer calendar and notes more. Instead of indulging in multiple notebooks and agendas.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

GoNoodle

Image
This week I'm blogging about movement, mindfulness, and incorporating those things into academics. GoNoodle is a free resource for all of those things for anyone in a K-5 classroom. If you are an elementary teacher looking to incorporate movement into your learning or even just a few brain breaks throughout the day, you should definitely check it out!  WHAT IS GONOODLE? GoNoodle is a FREE online resource for teachers in the K-5 classroom. It provides short, interactive videos that get kids up and moving throughout the school day. Activities range anywhere from 1 minute to 15 minutes, depending on what you are wanting your students to do. You can find anything from calming videos that simply teach your students to breathe to intense workout videos that get students up and alert for the day.  WHAT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES CAN YOU DO? There are several "channels" on GoNoodle that allow teachers and students to have choice in what kind of activity they want to engag...
Read more

ClassDojo

Image
This week I'm talking about an app that does it all...behavior management, photo/video sharing, and parent communication. Class Dojo is a great way to motivate students, as well as keep parents in the loop.  I originally stated using Classdojo for behavior management. With Dojo, teachers can assign each student their own avatar to which they are assigned points. Teachers can use both positive and "needs work" points for student behavior. One of the features I like most is that you can create your own skills for awarding or deducting points. This makes the point system more relevant to your students and can allow for differentiated skills based on your students needs.  Here are some examples from my own classroom: Not only does Dojo keep track of students points, it also generates pie charts based on students behavior feedback and can be emailed and shared with parents daily, weekly, monthly, or by using set dates.  Another way you can use Dojo is by...
Read more

Blog Following - Daily Technology Warmups

This week on Erin's blog we are looking at a simple way to incorporate tech into your classroom every day. If you are using technology regularly in the classroom or are a technology teacher with a cart or a lab, doing a daily warm up can build classroom community, enhance your digital citizenship discussions, and help students practice coding, design thinking, get energized, and more! If you are a classroom teacher integrating technology the biggest obstacle you face is finding TIME. We often want our students to utilize technology but don't have the time to teach the technology itself. Erin  developed a set of   180 EDITABLE Technology Daily Warm Ups  that can meet the needs of both classroom teachers and technology teachers. What Are Technology Daily Warm Ups? A technology warm up is a short, typically 5-minute activity that can be completed during morning or afternoon meetings, bell ringers, transitions, etc. Questions and activities are technology focused bu...
Read more