Let's keep it CLEAN, St. Marys...

You clean your desk drawers, organize your filing cabinet and store away decorations.

But, where is digital organization on your list of to dos?

I must admit, I am very much a guilty party.  I had no idea where to begin when it came to digital clean up.  To get to my daily flipcharts I would navigate a maze of folders that I created years ago.  There was little rhyme or reason to the organization.  It was a path that I would spend an hour re-figuring out at the beginning of every year.

 Here are the 5 steps that I have been taking to start the process of digital clean up.  The initial task is daunting.  Once the organization process is established, it will become habit and your digital cleanup will be an ongoing process instead of the obstacle that you try to avoid.



NUMBER 1:  Google Keep .

• Get the sticky notes off your computer screen.  keep.google.com gives you digital post it notes that follow you from classroom to classroom, device to device, school to home.
• What a great way to make your to-do lists: 
• End of year business 
• Make up exams/work
• Summer reminders
• Classroom items you want to look to purchase
• Things you want to remember for the start of next year
• (Unlike that post it - the google keep note won't lose it's stick!)

You can even add links, check-off boxes, reminders, and share your notes with others.

NUMBER 2:  Get it in your PBox.

• Check for files that you may have only saved locally on your machine:
• Desktop Screen, Downloads Folder, Picture Folder etc.
• Get these in your PBox asap.  Cut, Copy, Drag and Paste those files into your Y or Z drive to prevent their loss.

Next year: Get in the habit of doing this right away! - Don't wait until year's end.

NUMBER 3: Name those media files.

• Media files have the tendency to save as generic names: 
• WIN / IMG
• the name of your camera
• the timestamp
• numerical order

This can make it very difficult to search for the image or video that you are looking for later.

• You can bulk name your files very easily on your PC
• Highlight all of the files that you want to rename in the same category
• e.g.  MacBeth Videos 10th grade
• 5th grade field trip 2016
• Right Click and choose Rename 
• it will seem like you are only renaming one file
• Hit Enter

All of your files are now renamed "MacBeth Videos 10th grade (1, 2, 3, 4, ...)" 

"5th grade field trip 2016 (1, 2, 3, 4....)

NUMBER 4: Delete and Organize.

To find unused files: 

• Open your PBox or any file within your PBox.  Click the Date Modified header to sort your files from oldest to newest.

• Use your judgement... here I see I have files that have not been modified or opened since 2003, I am guessing those can go.... 
• Hold Crtl as you clik through the ones you want to delete and then delete them all at once.
• If you are worried about permanently deleting files, try making a folder called Old Files and keeping them there for another year, to see if you actually will access them.

To create folders: 

• Right Click anywhere in your PBox.
• Hover over New then click Folder
• Find a filing system that works for  you.  I use a style similar to that of my actual paper filing cabinets.
• Then Drag, Drop, Cut, Copy and Paste your way to a better organized drive.

NUMBER 5:  Archive your Google Classrooms.

What is Archiving?

• Google Classrooms will appear in students' lists of classes until they are Archived by the teacher (or the student removes him/herself from your class)
• Archiving a Classroom: 
• Preserves your posts, assignments etc.
• Removes them from your active classes screen, for organization
• Gives you access to the posts, for reuse next year
• Does not allow you or a student to further modify the class
• Still allows you the option to restore the class if you need to reuse/modify it for any reason

How to Archive: 

1. Go to classroom.google.com.
2. On the class card, click the dots and select Archive.
3. To confirm, click Archive.

What tricks do you have for tidying your digital world?

NeoK12

At NeoK12, they believe that kids learn best when they see how things work, when, where, and why they happen.  Watching educational videos is a great way to learn because it allows kids to build a visual picture or model in their mind. The visual dimension not only helps them understand concepts better, but also stimulates curiosity and encourage self-learning.  Go to http://www.neok12.com/ to check out the topics available!

NeoK12 also features innovative tools for learning and teaching.
      These include:

• Quiz Games
• Interactive Diagrams
• Flow Chart Games
• Vocabulary Games
• Educational Games and Puzzles

Genius Hour!

Once again, I am hitting a topic that may not directly be a tech tool, but that will more than likely incorporate technology somewhere along the way. I thought this would be a good post to leave you with for the year to give you time to think about implementation next year. 

I first heard about Genius Hour last year when I was teaching 5th grade and I was intrigued by the idea. As the definition above states, Genius Hour is adapted from Google's 20% time idea. Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin highlighted the idea in their 2004 IPO letter: "We encourage our employees, in addition to their regular projects, to spend 20% of their time working on what they think will most benefit Google," they wrote. "This empowers them to be more creative and innovative. (Side note: Gmail was created during a 20% time project!) During Genius Hour, students have a chance to pursue their passions and creativity and innovation are encouraged. Each student develops a big question focused on a topic he/she would like to explore further. They take the time to research about their topic and then plan a project that will be shared. The research will incorporate information from all kinds of different sources and technology can even be used to connect students to experts on the topic. Projects students create can be shared within the class, school, or through technology, the world! 

My students last year completed Genius Hour projects, and it was amazing to see how engaged they were. Student choice was a huge motivator and they couldn't wait until Genius Hour time. I know...the biggest roadblock that comes to mind is, "I don't have enough time as it is-how am I going to give students an hour a week to pursue their passions. I get it. However, it isn't as hard as you might think and is something that can be incorporated into elementary, middle and high school environments. It just takes some rethinking on how you use your time in the classroom.

There are many articles and resources out there about Genius Hour that can say it much better than I can. I encourage you to think about how you might be able to incorporate Genius Hour into your classroom. Your students will thank you! 

Here are a few links to get you started:

http://www.geniushour.com/

http://www.middleweb.com/26394/are-you-ready-for-a-genius-hour-classroom/

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/829279 

On Twitter, search #geniushour

3d Printing Math Style

180 - 160 = 20 days of school left

That is 20/180, 

which can tell us that we have 

1/9th of the school year ahead of us

to try some 3d printing.

The only variable that we have to account for yet is... YOU!

The world of 3d printing is complex and many waters are uncharted for core subject teachers.  However, this doesn't mean we cannot get our feet wet with a few simple ideas.

Idea #1: Math teacher is teaching formulas to calculate surface area & volume.
- Have the students each create a cube on Tinkercad.  (quick and easy activity)
- Choose a few students to have their cubes printed.
    * or alternately have a tech coach print you some samples.
- Use these cubes to measure and solve for area and volume.
- Have groups get together with the various cubes and compare the dimensions.

Idea #2:  Print a visual parabola manipulative to demonstrate slope. 
- Print this Parabola manipulative to demonstrate slope in Algebra class.

The .stl file that your tech coaches can print for you can be found here.

Idea #3: Print manipulatives for a visual presentation for fractions.
- Many ready-to-print manipulatives can be printed by your tech coach for use in your classroom.

- Find manipulatives that you wish you had more of.  Contact a tech coach to see if we can print them for you here.


Other thoughts: 

• The end of the year is a great time to have students express their knowledge with a comprehensive project.  If you have a tech-savvy student who can go above and beyond the call of duty, use him as your guinea pig for the incorporation of new tech, such as 3d printing in your classroom.  Use a project you already have, and have him take it one step further using a design software like Tinkercad.

• If you are looking for premade lessons / projects Autodesk ProjectIgnite is free and links straight into your Google Classroom.  The lessons are easy to follow can be used from Elem-High School levels.  Sign up for free and search the projects.  Eventually you as a teacher can create a lesson that your students can follow to make their own 3d printable files.

• SMAHS drafting teacher Mr. Rieger has welcomed any pen/paper designs (complete with specs) to be sent to his drafting students.  They will gladly take your students' ideas and create a printable file with them.  In no time your students can hold their work in the palm of their hands.

Above all, you as teachers are busy.  Why not let the TechCoaches do the legwork for you?  Have a manipulative you would like printed?  Looking for a premade lesson?  Have a group project that would like to utilize 3d printing?  Let us know!  Tech Coaches aren't just for teachers, we can coach your students as well.

 Please keep in mind that starting small is the best option for exploring your ideas.  3d projects can take hours to print, and do cost money.  (e.g.  Having 30 models that do not have any long-term use or value is not ideal.)  Projects in groups and projects that bear continued use over time are encouraged.

You can Google many ready-made 3d printing files to gather ideas.  Here are some sites worth browsing:

www.thingiverse.com
www.yeggi.com

28 other sites can be found here.