EdTech Tips from LisaTeachR's Classroom: Google Chrome extensions

Google Chrome Extensions

What are Google Chrome extensions?

They are apps that run within Google Chrome.  You get them at the Web Store. You click on the colorful apps waffle on the left hand of your Bookmarks bar. The web store will be on the bottom right.  They will make your life more productive...I promise!

Here's my list:

Google Translate for Google -Do I even need to explain?

Google Tone -This is such a neat tool.  You can broadcast a URL to any website in the area.  No more copying things down incorrectly!

Newsela -Great non fiction articles about current topics.  You can chose the readability level.  Quizzes are available for most.

Storybird -Beautiful art for creating stories. 

Kami -Great for annotating.  Close reading, anyone?

Speak It! -Great for differentiation and kids who need a little help.  It reads the text for them.

Turn Off The Lights -Say you want to watch a video on YouTube but an embarrassing ad comes on.  This app turns everything but the video dark.  Cool, huh?

AdBlock -Removes all those pesky ads from everywhere!  Yay!

Storyboard That -great for storyboarding

We Video -Use this for making and editing videos

Polarr -Photo editing tool!

Honey -This is just for you!  It will search for any online coupon codes and apply them automatically.  It's awesome.  It's saved me a ton of money.

What extensions do you recommend?

        

Technology Tales for Kids

Monday Linky from Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers and Kathryn from Book Date!

Technology Tales for Kids

As the school year begins, it's important to teach kids about Digital Citizenship.  Here are some books that may make that easier...

Technology Tale: A Digital Footprint Story


This is a great way to explain to kids what a digital footprint is.   

Good Night Ipad


Here is a story about the importance of disconnecting!  Patterned after the classic.

Once Upon a Time...Online


Hmmm...a little girl finds a laptop...what could happen?  I love the fairy tale component.


One great resource for additional ideas is Common Sense Media.  Lots of great ideas and videos.  If you want to take it a step further, have your students create their own cautionary tales on Storybird.  Great online program to create stories with beautiful art and it's free!


        

Classroom reveal 2017-18

So this year I decided to do an island Tiki theme. I've done Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland in the past so it was time to change it up!
Welcome sign!

Boxes are ready but I still need crayons! 
The boxes you see there are multicultural crayons.












NGSS Scientific and Engineering Practices.



I got the Epson through DonorsChoose and the DC125 Ladibug through Lumens when my kids won a contest.










It's all about a growth mindset!



















Seat Sacks are ready to go!








Counting collections are ready to go! CGI Math here we come!














Love my new window!



Ready for our data board!  As a school, we put up our reading levels and ELD info.
















My door!  "Be a pineapple! Stand tall, wear a crown and be sweet on the inside."  We will discuss the fact that the pineapple is the symbol of hospitality and we will cut and taste one in class.



Link your blog post here!








        

Culturally Relevant Chapter Books for Kids

Monday Linky from Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers and Kathryn from Book Date!

Diverse Reads for your students

I had the pleasure of attending a conference session led by Lindsey Nagorsky and Dr. Sharroky Hollie about Responsive Reads.  Culturally responsive reads are texts that are culturally relevant and teach kids about the world around them.  So it doesn't mean you only read texts with Latino characters to Latino students but you read these texts to all students to open their world.

So after some research, here are some of my favorites.  I've got a DonorsChoose grant out there hoping to get more of these texts in my reader's hands.  I've blogged about some of these books before but I've added some new ones for you...

My Chosen Chapter books

This is one of my all time favorites.  The kids really connect with Sophia.  A girl from McAllen, Texas who is growing up in her barrio and learning to navigate her way through a private high school.  They love that she is making her First Holy Communion like many of them.  They love that she makes Easter cascarones to break on her cousin's head.  I made a connection to the plastic tia because my grandmother used to cover all her furniture in plastic too!  My kids were sobbing at the end of this book.  I love when literature connects with the kids.  

This is tale about Maria.  She was a happy girl living in Puerto Rico.  When her father moves back to New York, she follows him to take care of him.  Now she has to learn Spanglish, a wholly unfamiliar language, go to school and take care of the house hold.  

Her whole life is changed.

Another one of my favorites written in verse.  

It's about Ha who lives in war torn Vietnam.  

Part of the novel is about life in Vietnam, another is about fleeing and the last is about the adjustment to living in America.  Based on the authors' real life.

This is tale about Summer and the summer 

she has to work with her grandparents 

on a midwest wheat farm.  

It's a great book to learn about the 

migrant experience. 

I haven't read this one yet but it's on my list especially considering the political climate and the conversation about refugees.

This is about Tara who has to flee Iraq 

and seek refuge in Britain. 

I was introduced to the work of 

Kwame Alexander at the writing conference for TCRWP at Columbia University.  

The Crossover is one of those books that really connects with kids, especially the boys.  It's about Josh and Jordan, twins, and 

how they grow apart as they grow older. 

I hope you enjoyed the book list.  If you don't have any culturally diverse books like these in your library, get these, it's a good start!