The Skokie Technology Edge

CODING with SWIFT PLAYGROUNDS I am loving all the conversations that I am having with all of you about your curriculum and the different ideas that you have to interest and challenge your students. Many of you are seeking a coding option for your students. while there are many different and good options the one I am advising right now id Swift Playgrounds. This is a free iPad App offered by Apple that teaches students Swift, the coding language that most, if not all, iPad apps are created with. It also offers different levels of learning. Students would start with Learn to Code 1 and if they feel the desire to the can be guided all the way through Learn to Code 3. There are also many more things to learn in the app as well. The Martinsen/Hoyt team has started on this adventure, as well as the Goldberg/Erickson team. If your are looking for more info, let me know! I would love to sit with you and/or your class and talk about Swift Playgrounds more. Here is some more info. htt...

As you may or will notice there has been some changes to your Power Teacher Gradebook. This change is a good change and a long time coming. PowerTeacher Pro is web-based and offers many upgrades compared to the old version. One example is a cleaner look and the gradebook and reports. I tried this upgrade out last year for my classes and loved it. There will be some training opportunities and feature overviews in coming institute days, and as report cards get closer I will also offer some learning experiences in house. If you have questions let me know. One question that may be at to top of your mind is if our report card changed with the upgrade? The answer is no, only the way it looks while inputting your information. Here are some resources the Beth Migalla created for us. PowerTeacher Pro Resources Scoring Assignments Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=10&v=COnxzXxiG38 Quick Reference guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RNUT3nARbgD7GnONBKDpV...

iPad Time  Have your students noticed that their iPad times are 2 hours off? Don't worry, there is a way they can fix it. Follow these steps and put the iPad back into the correct timezone. Go to settings Select Privicy Tap "Locations Services" Turn the switch "on" The time may adjust at this point, if not continue to follow the steps Go back to "General" Select "Time and Date" Turn off "Automatic" Manually put into the Chicago Time zone Turn Automatic switch back on.  Mission Complete! As always, if you need help with this, never hesitate to ask your tech team. It is also fun to ask students why they think the iPad is set to that time zone, and why does it choose Cupertino as the default city? If you did not know the reason is because Apple Headquarters is in Cupertino, CA.  Teacher iPad Replacement If you have not had the chance to yet, please come and trade up to you new iPad. It only takes a few minutes ...

Seesaw is a great tool that many of the students already know how to use. It is an easy way to students to share their work and offer them feedback. It is also a way to communicate with parents through the student journal. Below are a few short guides and activities to look at on ways you can integrate Seesaw in your classroom.  If you have any questions or would like a guided lesson with students, talk to your local Seesaw Ambassador... (me)! _____________________ Fifth Grade Getting Started Sixth Grade Getting Started These step-by-step grade-specific Get Started Guides have everything you need to introduce Seesaw to your students including the Seesaw Student Challenge, task cards, and badges and certificates!  When students complete the Seesaw Student Challenge, you can be confident that they have the basics covered when it comes to independently documenting their learning with Seesaw, plus they'll have a few new entries in their journal.