Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from July 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. No time to comb through Chrome's content? Learn about Google Chrome's accessibility features and extensions to best meet you and your students' needs. Google Chrome is the "Magician's Hat" of content built-in the browser. Google Chrome was named because the developer liked fast, and shiny cars. However, the design philosophy was content and not chrome. Chrome has features that are designed for efficiency and ease of use. Chrome is the luxury browser of the web, and it's dashboard rivals that of a luxury car. Explore the Chrome Web Store to learn features and extensions to support and enrich your student's online experience. As a result of this session and through individual follow-up, teachers will: 1. Learn how to locate accessibility features and extensions; 2. Learn how to integrate extensions to best meet your students' needs; 3. Learn extensions and features to support your Google Chrome experience; and 4. Collect extensions to use in your classroom. Remember, it is OK2Ask'® questions at any time! This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): Google (23)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from July 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Go to the EDGE with TeachersFirst! What is the Edge? Cutting edge tools used to create: list-makers, timelines, mind maps, and more. Learn about the various Edge categories and what they mean. Have time to explore the Edge on your own. Find inspiration and timesaving tools in this fast-paced session! As a result of this session and through individual follow-up, teachers will: Explore the edge categories and tools available at TeachersFirst. Find more ways to save time using TeachersFirst for planning lessons. Have free exploration time to find materials relevant to his/her classroom needs. Prepare to plan and implement a student-centered, curriculum-related use of the resource(s) of choice as part of an upcoming teaching unit. Plan how to use one of the edge tools to organize, communicate, or create in your classroom. Remember, it is OK2Ask'® questions at any time! This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from May 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Transform your classroom activities by learning how to use ThingLink. Engage students and deepen content area knowledge by creating annotated images. Text, audio, and video bring additional context to images for your students. Brainstorm with others how you and your students can use ThingLink in your classroom. Learn a little about the principles of design. We will supply you with an image to upload and the annotations so you can learn to use this fantastic tool. Participants will: 1. Learn how to annotate an image using ThingLink: text, audio, and video; 2. Determine ways in which Thinglink can be used to support instruction; and 3. Create an activity with ThingLink that can be used in class. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from May 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Discover hidden treasures in Google apps and tools to elevate instruction and explore creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking (4C's) skills in refreshing ways for both students and teachers. Use Google beyond powerful searching to help build 21st-century skills. Through the use of simple tools, students develop their 4C's skills. In this session, you will find many examples of using Google tools and will have an opportunity to play with some of these. Come prepared with an already created Google account and an installed Chrome browser and uncover treasures such as Google Cultural Institute, Google Trends, Google Earth Engine, Google Public Data Explorer, Maps/Tour Builder, Ngram Viewer, Google Groups/Hangouts, Google Keep, Google Draw, and more. Participants will: 1. Explore ways to incorporate the 4C's into instruction; 2. Identify Google tools that can be used to develop the 4C's; 3. Explore two or more web-based tools and resources to support the 4C's; and 4. Plan a project that uses a Google tool or app for creativity, communication, collaboration, or critical thinking. This session is appropriate for teachers at the intermediate technology comfort level.

tag(s): collaboration (11), communication (7), creativity (119), critical thinking (112)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from April 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Untangle the web of differentiation with the help of Tomlinson's model. Explore the pedagogy behind differentiation and find tools to enable you to meet the needs of your students. Learn the definition behind differentiation, find various combinations to differentiate by interest, readiness, and more. Explore technology tools to use to easily differentiate in various content areas. Begin to develop a plan that fits your individual needs.Participants will: 1. Understand the meaning of differentiation; 2. Explore Tomlinson's model of differentiation; 3. Find tools to differentiate in content areas; and 4. Create a plan for differentiation in your classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): differentiation (49)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from April 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Explore three online tools for collaboration with peers and students. Discover the differences between collaboration and group work. Discuss and learn ways to foster collaboration in the classroom. Share with peers the positives of collaboration and strategies for encouraging participants when faced with difficulties. Begin to develop a collaborative activity for your individual needs. Participants will: 1. Understand the difference between collaboration and group work; 2. Compare/Contrast three online tools for collaboration; 3. Explore three online tools for collaboration; and 4. Participate in a collaborative activity. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): collaboration (11)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from April 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Learn to use VoiceThread in your classroom. Need to have students create a project to demonstrate comprehension? Want to allow your class to continue an important conversation after class is dismissed for the day? Can you make formative assessment less foreboding? You can use VoiceThread for all of this and more. Learn to easily add a layer of interaction in your class that increases student engagement. Join us for this session and your students will thank you! Please Note: It would be best to attend this session on a computer. iPad users attending this session should download the VoiceThread app prior to the session. Participants will: 1. Learn basic use of the VoiceThread tool; 2. Explore three different ways to use VoiceThreads in the classroom; and 3. Plan for the use of VoiceThread in the classroom This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

tag(s): digital storytelling (153)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from March 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Once upon a time, teachers wanted to make content meaningful and relevant to their students' lives...Come to this TeachersFirst Ok2Ask webinar and see digital storytelling as a formative, summative, and effective way to learn content. Learn how to successfully implement a digital storytelling project in your science, social studies, health, or other content area classes. Choose one of the programs we will feature, and follow a few steps to successful implementation. Make a sample project showing your students what you would like them to achieve. After attending, you will be armed with a sample and resources to to start tomorrow... And all of the teachers who followed the path to digital storytelling experienced success and they and their students lived happily ever after. This session is appropriate for teachers at Intermediate to Advanced technology levels.

As a result of this session and through individual follow-up, teachers will: Discover ways to integrate digital storytelling into any content area; Understand steps for successful implementation of a digital storytelling project; Review resources for healthy digital citizenship; Explore three web based tools and resources to support digital storytelling; and Plan a project that integrates digital storytelling into science, social studies, or math curriculum.

tag(s): digital storytelling (153), multimedia (63)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from February 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Explore, compare, and contrast three different online photo tools. Participants will learn about the features of these three tools and then participate in a breakout session to learn more about the tool of their choosing. A question/answer period will be available to help with individual questions. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels. As a result of this session and through individual follow-up, participants will: (1) Learn about and compare 3 different tools for working with images; (2) Evaluate the uses for working with these tools in the classroom; (3) Share ideas for using tools with other participants; and (4) Start a project using one of the given tools.

tag(s): images (274)

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from February 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Explore the myriad of apps that Google has to offer. We will explore free apps that can be used in various content areas to accomplish multiple goals. Participants will have time to explore apps and discover ways they can be implemented into classrooms with students of all ages. This session is appropriate for teachers at intermediate to advanced technology levels.