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APRIL 16, 2023

This post is written by Joshua Ratliff. Josh is currently the Director of Education Initiatives at Trafera, in West Virginia. He holds certifications in Professional Teaching and Technology Integration for PreK-Adult, and is a Google for Education Certified Trainer. First things first. Let me say up front that the term “technology addiction” is a tricky […] The post How is technology addiction impacting teaching and learning?

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Technology Learning Google Education 308

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APRIL 14, 2023

When you're stressed or need some support, an AI assistant might be an unlikely choice. But it can give you strategies to cope and empower your wellbeing. Mandy Froehlich passionately encourages educators to create innovative change in their classrooms. She consults internationally with school districts and post-secondary institutions in the effective use of technology to […] The post 6 ways ChatGPT and AI can empower your wellbeing appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Secondary Strategy Technology Classroom 266

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FEBRUARY 13, 2023

Artificial intelligence is growing by leaps and bounds. It's no longer science fiction anymore! Lots of AI tools can serve as our own personal assistants -- answering questions, helping us write text, create images, speak more effectively, and more. Time has always been a barrier in the classroom. Most teachers would agree that they would be able […] The post 15 AI tools for the classroom appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Tools Classroom 363

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NOVEMBER 13, 2022

This post is sponsored by GeniallyGenially is an easy to use software that lets you add lots and lots of interactive elements to your slides.The best part is that it is FREE! There is a premium level that you or your school/district can purchase but even with the free version you can create UNLIMITED content […]. The post 5 easy gamified activities you can assign in Google Classroom tomorrow appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Google Classroom Software 323

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NOVEMBER 13, 2022

This post is sponsored by GeniallyGenially is an easy to use software that lets you add lots and lots of interactive elements to your slides.The best part is that it is FREE! There is a premium level that you or your school/district can purchase but even with the free version you can create UNLIMITED content […]. The post 5 easy gamified activities you can assign in Google Classroom tomorrow appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Google Classroom Software 191

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NOVEMBER 10, 2022

This post is written by Sam Kary, Founder and CEO of New EdTech Classroom, a teacher-led professional development startup dedicated to helping educators design innovative classrooms with technology. Sam is a former classroom teacher and instructional coach of a decade who spent his early career skeptical of technology’s role in education. Sam is an ISTE […].

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EdTech Classroom Technology Education 277

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SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

Google Classroom is powerful. Add-ons make it more efficient and faster. Learn how to use add-ons AND all about Adobe Express. This post sponsored by Adobe for Education Did you ever try using Google products in class before Google Classroom? It was a hassle. I remember using a product called gClass Folders to have students turn in […]. The post How to use Google Classroom add-ons with Adobe Express appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Adobe Google How To Classroom 175

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AUGUST 29, 2022

Purposeful, efficient, effective instruction. That's the holy grail of our work as teachers. We teach. Then, we assess what we taught. Then, we reflect and make decisions on our instruction going forward. Whether it's whole class, small group, or one-on-one instruction, our job as teachers is in a constant state of reflection and growth. That's what makes it […].

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Assessment Groups 326

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MAY 5, 2022

The end of the year is a great time for student reflection. This post shares templates you can give students that'll help! At the end of the year, it's easy to get focused on all of our to-do's. Take tests. Do projects. Wrap up all those last lessons. Grade things and submit those grades. It's easy to […]. The post 10 end of year templates to help students thrive appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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APRIL 28, 2022

This post is written by Dr. LaMarcus Norman. Dr. Norman is the Assistant Professor at Delta State University, Educational Administration and Supervision. Before joining Delta State University, Dr. Norman spent 12 years of service as a public-school administrator and teacher in Mississippi. You can connect with him at lamarcus.norman@gmail.com. Every educator knows one of the […].

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Education 351

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APRIL 7, 2022

EduProtocols activities can be used again and again to engage and teach. Here's how they look in a full unit. This post is written by Kim Voge, an educator, instructional coach, adjunct professor, and ed tech consultant from California. Kim is the co-author of Deploying EduProtocols: 20+ Ways to Use EduProtocols to Transform Your School […]. The post An example EduProtocols unit that supports UDL, SEL appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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UDL Examples Education 278

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MARCH 9, 2022

Help new information stick in students' minds with the "brain dump," an effective, low-prep activity in the classroom. It’s a common request from teachers of students: Study. Go home and study. Go back over the material. Re-read the material. When we ask students to do this, we mean well. We want them to succeed. But we’re asking […]. The post Sticky learning: Digital brain dumps with Flipgrid and Socrative appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Learning Study Classroom Video 339

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FEBRUARY 23, 2022

Student interest surveys help us know what makes our students tick, which helps us build relationships and learning that matters.When we know what makes students tick, it can help us create learning that they'll really love. But that's not the only reason to get to know our students' interests. When we know them and what they're into […]. The post Student interest surveys to connect learning to their world appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Survey Learning Student Engagement 285

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FEBRUARY 3, 2022

Google Arts and Culture is a massive collection of videos and images of cultural artifacts from over 2,000 museums around the world. But virtually visiting art exhibits is just one of the many things you can do with Google Arts and Culture. From virtually displaying life-sized art inside your house to playing in a blob […]. The post 10 things you didn’t know you could do with Google Arts and Culture appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Google Video 321

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JANUARY 6, 2022

When the calendar turns over a new year, for many of us, we're still in the middle of the school year. So, when a new year starts in schools (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), two things happen: 1. It's an opportunity to look back, reflect, regroup, and set some goals. 2. It can also be a midpoint […]. The post 10 low-prep activities to kick off 2022 appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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NOVEMBER 23, 2021

Google MyMaps lets students create maps with custom-pinned location. The magic, though, is in what you put in those pins. If we want to use technology in the classroom, we can’t just do the same kind of learning we did before it. Technology should improve the learning. Kick the lesson up a notch. Otherwise, our technology […]. The post How to create media-rich, interactive maps for deeper learning appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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How To Learning Google Technology 358

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NOVEMBER 3, 2021

Looking for some creative rules for teaching? These Pixar storytelling rules can help us unlock our creativity in the classroom. Pixar is one of the best at telling stories. It started with the groundbreaking Toy Story, the first entirely computer-animated feature film. What followed are some of my favorite animated films -- and my children's favorites, […].

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Classroom 356

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OCTOBER 13, 2021

Choice boards give students options for activities they do, but they can also be overwhelming. Here's a better option. Once, when teaching high school Spanish, my students and I had finished covering a new verb tense. We practiced it. They were getting the hang of it. It was time for them to demonstrate understanding. Show what […]. The post Progressive choice boards: Provide choice without overwhelming appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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OCTOBER 12, 2021

Songs can embed themselves deeply in our minds and our memories. Can you remember a specific song that immediately takes you back to a place and time in your past?For me, these three have very vivid memories:When I was moving into the dorms at Indiana State University my freshman year — a wide-eyed brand new college […]. The post 13 ways to connect music and lyrics to class appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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EdTech Technology Education 309

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SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

Family engagement plays a huge role in the success of our students. How can we effectively connect families with the classroom? And what tools and resources are available to help increase communication between home and school? Family engagement plays a huge role in the success of our students. How can we effectively connect families with […]. The post 25 tips for connecting families with the classroom appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Classroom Tools Resources Twitter 303

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

This post is written by Megan Diede and Kara Risby. Megan and Kara both currently teach primary at Prairie Wind Elementary in Gillette, Wyoming. They are also the founders of IntegratED LLC a framework that challenges teachers to find a new norm and their teaching. “Tick, Toc, Tick, Toc…” How many of you pictured the crocodile from […]. The post Captain of a hook: 10 engaging lesson introduction ideas appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Elementary Student Engagement 326

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AUGUST 11, 2021

In many ways, your learning management system (LMS) is the digital home for your classroom.Students find assignments there.You give them announcements there.They communicate with you and with each other there.Because you likely spend lots of time there, it's a great place to be more efficient and effective, saving you time and sanity. Struggle with it and […].

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LMS System Schoology Microsoft 360

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JULY 20, 2021

After enduring remote learning, teachers and students are heading back to the classroom. Here are some things to keep in mind. After more than a year of remote instruction, some schools are going back to school face to face for the first time.For others, they've been face to face for a while, but the remote […]. The post Going back to school face-to-face: 10 tips appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Classroom Learning 363

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APRIL 26, 2021

What teacher doesn’t want to save themselves time and teach better? It’s finding those low-prep, high-return activities that we can use right away that can be challenging. That’s where EduProtocols come in. EduProtocols, created by Jon Corippo and Marlena Hebern, are a series of lesson frames that are easy to adapt to any subject or grade. And the amazing […].

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Student Engagement 286

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APRIL 8, 2021

Research has a lot to say about improving students' long-term memory. Here are 10 ideas you can use in class. Long-term memory and recall are important throughout the school year. But at state testing time, they get a LOT of attention. How can students remember some things for the rest of their lives. but other […]. The post 10 ways to improve students’ long-term learning appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Learning 279

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FEBRUARY 18, 2021

This post is written by Kim Strobel. Kim is the owner of Strobel Education. She is a highly sought-after consultant, speaker, and happiness coach who works with K-12 teachers and schools throughout the country. I’m sure we can all agree that educators are “June tired” and have been for most of the last school year. […]. The post 4 ways to fight educator burnout appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Education 317

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FEBRUARY 2, 2021

Google’s Applied Digital Skills Curriculum can be the refreshing resource you never knew you needed. Best of all, it’s easy to use and 100% free for everyone! This post is guest written by Sue Tranchina. Sue is a high school business-technology and video production teacher at Shore Regional High School in West Long Branch, NJ. […]. The post Google Applied Digital Skills: 5 reasons why you should try this FREE curriculum appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Google Video Resources Technology 206

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DECEMBER 3, 2020

Assignments in Google Classroom are better with apps! Use these apps that work with Google Classroom to level up your activities. Google Classroom looks kind of bare at first glance. A stream. Assignments. Grades. It might make you want to say, "Where's the flash? Doesn't this thing have an app store like my iPhone does?"But […]. The post 30 apps that work with Google Classroom appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Google Classroom iPhone 363

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DECEMBER 3, 2020

Assignments in Google Classroom are better with apps! Use these apps that work with Google Classroom to level up your activities. Google Classroom looks kind of bare at first glance. A stream. Assignments. Grades. It might make you want to say, "Where's the flash? Doesn't this thing have an app store like my iPhone does?"But […]. The post 30 apps that work with Google Classroom appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Google Classroom iPhone 142

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NOVEMBER 17, 2020

Google Classroom can be even more powerful with a few tips and strategies to make it efficient and effective.Google Classroom streamlines the management of student work — announcing, assigning, collecting, grading, giving feedback and returning. It has certainly saved many teachers hours of work. Without a solid workflow and some strategy, grading digital work can be cumbersome. […].

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Google Classroom Strategy EdTech 363

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DECEMBER 1, 2020

Computer science is much more than just programming. It includes the study of computers, how they work, and how we can use them to solve problems. However, when we talk about computer science one piece of it comes to mind.Coding. We can use the excitement and engagement from events like the Hour of Code to […]. The post Google CS First: Free, interactive coding lessons for your class appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Google Study 229

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NOVEMBER 12, 2020

Blogs give your students' work an audience. Here's an easy way to set up student blogs with Google Slides. Blogging has really democratized the world of writing. Now, you don't have to pass through a gatekeeper (book publisher, magazine editor, etc.) to get your ideas out there. You can start a blog, publish, and share […]. The post How to create student blogs in Google Slides (for FREE!

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Google How To 324

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NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Even when we don't have face to face connections, we can still build and develop relationships with our students. Here are some ideas. Paulino Brener has taught Spanish online for years. He has effectively taught students the language, developed relationships and maintained a productive educational environment. And he did it WITHOUT face to face physical […].

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Education Online Learning Learning 354

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NOVEMBER 10, 2020

Using Kahoot! with Google Classroom and Google Meet makes it possible to play engaging games anywhere with your class. Kahoot! is a fun gameshow-style assessment activity. There are tons of creative ways to review and assess with it. Kahoot! lets students answer questions with their own device. It has music and a leaderboard, and it doesn’t […].

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Meeting Google How To Classroom 363

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OCTOBER 21, 2020

A great question can make or break a learning activity. Here are some ideas for asking juicy questions. A great question is a springboard into a fascinating discussion. Phrase it the right way and students will start thinking. Then they'll start talking. Then you won't be able to get them to stop! Great questions can make […]. The post 20 juicy questions to ask students (#5 will REALLY get them talking!

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Student Engagement Learning 362

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OCTOBER 19, 2020

G Suite Apps are collaborative, which makes them highly powerful. They offer opportunities for students to engage unlike ever before. Here are 30 ideas for using them with your class. G Suite has revolutionized education. With its highly collaborative, online/offline format — and its attractive price tag (free!) it provides students and teachers with effective […].

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Google Education Classroom 363

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SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

Students use social media all the time. Let's put those skills to use! In these social media-inspired Google Slides templates, they can show what they know with their favorite apps. No matter the age -- kindergarten to high school senior -- students are pretty familiar with social media. In fact, many of them can think […]. The post 12 social media-inspired Google Slides templates appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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Social Media Google 364