Google Slides Temptation

 Have you ever been tempted with design and creativity and then get lost for hours creating? Well, today, that is where I am!

I started with a lovely template created by Slides Mania.  If you have not yet checked out the amazing bevy of resources available there-just google it and you will find a treasure chest full of ideas. The one I decided on was a writer's notebook since I'll be starting a writing course. I used the template and made adjustments to the font, Bitmoji and layout options for the final version.  I like how it turned out.  Here is the final version.

Share in the comments below what slides you have created or tried-or even better, share something you want to try next!  Thanks for checking out my post today.

Peace and Grace,

Amy

Oh, OCTELA, Here We Go!

 Oh, so excited to attend the 2024 OCTELA Conference near Columbus, Ohio.  I can't wait to learn from all of the great educators attending as well!  Conferences do so much to restore the energy level of educators.  Being around people who are so passionate about the content focus of the conference propels learning to another level.  

This year, I will be co-presenting with another educator from Bowling Green State University, Colleen Boff.  We met in the fall of 2023 at the Ohio Council of Social Studies conference (ironically at the same location).  We both share a passion for literacy and books.  We look forward to sharing how the books we bring along can do so much to lift student voices.  

We will be sharing all about how to create a literacy cafe and promote book tasting with others.  Be sure to join our session!  Make it your first stop of the day!  Nothing is better than a cuppa joe and some great books.

Starbooks Cafe and the OCSS

Starbooks Cafe and the OCSS!

Have you ever attended or presented at the Ohio Council of Social Studies conference?  I am excited to say that I have!  It was a fantastic learning opportunity. I learned so much from all of the great educators attending as well!  State conferences like these do so much to restore the energy level of educators.  Being around people who are so passionate about the content focus of the conference propels learning to another level.  

I met another fantastic educator, Colleen Boff, during the conference and found that we share a passion for literacy and books.  After my session took place at the conference, we collaborated on writing a proposal to present at another conference and it was accepted. We then presented on the same topic at another conference.

I was so happy to be able to share this literacy cafe format and promote delicious book tasting with other educators. There truly is nothing better than a cuppa joe and some great picture books.

To set up your cafe, choose 20-30 book titles (depending on the number of participants who will be book tasting).  A great resource to use is the NCSS notable trade book list-a yearly published resource that include title specific to Social Studies concepts or strands.  And tell participants to choose a book to taste-tasting is previewing a book, checking out the cover, end papers, and then read as much as you like until the 5 minute timer goes off-then you switch books and start the process over again.  It's a great way to learning about a lot of books in a little time.  You may also want to set up a tool for keeping notes of books you've reviewed so you can track specific titles you'll want to utilize at a later date.

Place-based Education and My University Class

 The Fall of 2022 was a busy time for me.  I had the opportunity to lead a group of undergraduates in a new class called "Teaching Social Studies for Primary Teachers".  It was truly and amazing opportunity to learn and grow as a professional educator.  I truly enjoyed learning with my scholars.  They showed so much perseverance and learning each week in class.

I arranged for them to have a special opportunity to make a connection with experiential learning and place based education.  We toured Stan Hywet estate and participated in quests to learn about how they involve learners from the community to gain a historic perspective of the estate.  The students gained much knowledge about the history and impact created by the FA Seiberling family.  A special shout out to Toivo Motter and his willingness to help us grow and learn about the estate.

Power of the PBL

 One of the most exciting opportunities and challenges in 2022 was the powerful PBL created with The Akronauts, Myers School of Art from the University of Akron, and the Curated Storefront.  The Akronauts needed our scholars to design a mission patch for the launch of their rocket, The I Promise Project.  The project was a smashing success and we celebrated our scholars' work with a recognition banquet.

I was so proud of the way our scholars showed their habits of promise (problem solver, perpetual learner, perseverance, partner and perspective).  You can see their excitement in the pictures shared here and the final outcome of the patch the Myers School of Art artists designed for the Akronauts.

I believe our scholars learned the value of hard work-perseverance and will always remember this special day when they saw how a "challenge" can be solved when we work together to reach new heights!

Conversations on Corona Virus Impact and How to Support Self Care

Yesterday, I was able to hop on a virtual meeting with other coaches from around the US.  We talked about ways instructional coaches can support teachers.

I know self-care is critical at this time.  There are feelings of stress, pressure and sadness as we witness the warpath of the virus and how it's wrestling people for their lives.  It's tough to take.

Teachers are holding their own learning, doing and trying to stay positive for families and students.  I witnessed a tearful moment today as I watched my daughter's school teachers drive through the neighborhood beeping horns and showing signs that said, "we love you" and "we miss you".  Well, we love you and miss you too...my heart was in my throat! I choked back the tears but they came anyway.

I worry about teachers.  I want to help but how?  What's the best way?  Dr. Brad Johnson shared a wonderful meme earlier in the week.

 

I thought about how I could help teachers with a focus on self-care.  So, I created a self care bingo board.  I wanted to add this cheerful message:

 

and create a video to introduce the self care board along with incentives for completion without it feeling like one more thing to do.

Here is the board I created:

header created using Canva

I hope it's seen as a way to support teachers.  What do you think?  Helpful or harmful?

Living in the Time of Corona Virus-Pioneers Blazing the Virtual Learning Trail

I can't believe the way of the world...

A Pandemic...

A Super-spreader virus...

I never thought...

None the less, the journey's begun.  We are living in quarantine and have been for the almost three weeks.  It feels like an endless Saturday or Groundhog day where it's become cycle, rinse, repeat.

It's all over the place.  Our governor and the state director of health have shut it down.  Thank goodness because many more people would be infected if it weren't for them sounding the alarm about how we can fight the virus through the use of "social distance" planning.  We're doing it. 

Now, school has become a  virtual learning experience too.  I am experiencing it as a teacher, a coach, and a parent.  It's not easy.  I worry about the equity of it all.  Many families don't have internet access but students are suppose to learn "online".  This is likely how it will be through the end of the school year.

Yet, every day I am a witness to absolute dedication and living out of the habits of promise by our teachers and students.  I see the smiles on their faces, the digital determination alive in our tiny humans.  I have joined in our promise circles to hear the dear things our kiddos are saying.  I am so proud of their commitment to learning as they share their thinking with their classmates.

So here we are crossing the bridge together to blaze a trail on the other side where no one has gone before.  We are virtual learning pioneers.  And-we've got this!

How Breathe, 2020 OLW, Found Me!

One of the blessings of this winter break has been the time to work on projects around the house without interruption.  There are so many of these projects just waiting for me to embrace them.  I love that they are calling out to me to try and get my attention! "Pick me!"  "No, pick me!"  "Choose me!"  "I need your attention!"

It just so happens that the one most inspiring project has been the cleaning and keeping of my crafting room.  It's become a "catch all" over the last ten years.  Around the house when no one knew what to do with something, its new home became the crafting room.  One of the things that landed in there was my dad's bag of coloring books which got passed back and forth between him and my mom as they were in separate nursing homes the last two years of their lives as they both had extreme health issues that were incompatible with cohabitation.  My dad passed in 2017 and my mom passed a year ago on New Years Eve.  Touching the coloring books felt off limits.  I just couldn't look.  I couldn't handle thinking about how much time they spent in the last moments of their lives with the books and colored pencils.  It calmed them, passed their time when we couldn't be there.

Finally a few days ago, I was  clearing the crafting room, going through the stack of books (one by one)-this is how my one little word for 2020 found me.  I opened the book to this page as it was marked by two pencils left in the book.  My dad colored the picture a few months before he died.  My mom got the books from him but her dementia didn't allow for remembering that he had passed.  She wrote him a note on the back of the page...she loved him and missed him so much.

Just Breathe

Steve Senior, Always think outside the box and embrace opportunities that appear, wherever they might be.   Good job!

After reading the adoring message she wrote to him, I flipped back to the colored design and seeing it, burst into tears...ironically, not being able to breathe is what brought my dad's life to an end.

After my tears subsided, I reflected and felt like my parents were angels just then, talking to me, whispering a reminder to take things slowly, calmly.  Then, consider things but remember to breathe, just breathe...embracing opportunities when they appear!

So that is how my #OLW2020 found me and I chose Breathe...

Shout Out! Scattering Summer Kindness

A few days ago, I saw this tweet and thought about playing Summer Twitter Bingo...

Summer Twitter Bingo starts on Monday! Who’s ready to scatter kindness in this world?

Snap a photo completing one of the kind acts listed on our board and include the hashtags #passionforkindness and #hcpspln. How many ways can you get a #KindnessBingo?#tlap #edchat pic.twitter.com/JCiiuqhAvo

— Tamara Letter (@tamaraletter) June 14, 2019

The first square I wanted to check off is "writing a note of appreciation to someone".  The someone I'd like to write an appreciation letter for is Eric Curts!  Eric is generously sharing ideas, links and learning and constantly inspiring me and others.  Here is my letter:

Dear Eric,
Thank you for always inspiring me and others with your ideas, links and learning.  You are so great about creating and sharing your ideas with the world.  The world has become a much brighter place because of the kindness and citizenship you exude on your blog Control Alt Achieve and on Twitter and other tech avenues.  I am so grateful that I met you through different conference venues in the Northeast Ohio area.  Thank you for being you.
Gratefully,

 

Amy Rudd

Who would you consider giving a shout out to?  Spread some seeds of kindness today...

I Promise School Year 1-Lights Out

I heard it over and over:  “I can’t believe it’s the last day!” “I don’t want it to end.” and “I don’t want to go home.”

I saw tears streaming from children’s eyes as they said goodbye when the buses rolled down the lane toward the street.  They were hanging out the windows waving.  The buses were honking...we were waving back, choking back the tears...

Many smiled, some sobbed few were hysterical...it was a beautiful summer send off-one I’ll always remember as we ended our inaugural year at the I Promise School.

I feel so blessed to be a part of this opportunity to connect with pupils, people and partner organizations at our school.  There’s no place like home.  Our lights are now out for the summertime but we’ll be back home soon.

OETC 2019 Nuggets of Newness

OETC 2019 was an amazing experience.  I learned so much from colleagues, coworkers, and speakers during the event.  I loved reflecting and reviewing all of the nuggets of newness I mined during the conference.  There were so many amazing sessions as well as inviting vendors in the exhibit hall.  This year, I created a google doc to display all of the learning links that I wanted remember.  So, here, in no particular order, I have shared the most important information acquired during the conference.

To open links in the Google Doc, try right clicking on it and selecting, "Open in New Tab". 

A Byte about Pear Deck

Last Friday, I joined in being trained with other "inspearational" educators to become a Pear Deck Regional Coach!  I was overjoyed to be a part of the group and learn more about the "Peardagogy" from the Pear Deck trainers.  It's now official-I'm a regional coach and I'm happy to #sharethepear.  

During our training, we read articles to learn more detail about the philosophy of the company.  One of the articles I found inspirational included the details highlighted in the picture I shared here:

Source https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/13/opinion/sunday/are-college-lectures-unfair.html

Active learning is one of the key reasons I know using Pear Deck is valuable and can make an impact on the students with whom teachers work every day.

If you have not yet used Pear Deck, check out this sample deck I made to share.  Kids love how Pear Deck works and as a teacher, you will too!  Each time a teacher publishes a deck with the "Google Slides Add-on", a random 5 letter code will generate and allow students to join via a web enabled device.  The teacher can then use the dashboard feature to monitor student responses and give immediate feedback as students participate in the lesson.

The product allows for all students to have an active role in participating throughout the lesson.  After the lesson ends, teachers can give additional feedback to students via the "takeaways" that are published and stored in the student's google drive.  The takeaways serve as a digital note sheet that collected their answers from the lesson.  This could be used as a study guide for future assessments.

Are you excited to see this in action?  If you are interested in learning more about Pear Deck, click here.  

An Open Letter to LeBron and the LeBron James Family Foundation

Dear LeBron and The LeBron James Family Foundation,

(my 23rd post on this blog, ironically) Everyone across the world can agree, your Impact is beyond measure!  From the support hugs for Akron's students to trees in Topanga State Park, the amazing things you and your team do daily are inspiring people for life!  I am one of them.

I was first inspired by watching you grow up in Akron, hearing about your stories from the Central Hower High School office and watching highlights from St. VM.  Everyone knew you'd be great, but how great, no one knew for sure...

I then watched you grow as a player for the CAVS!  Our hometown team deserved to have a hometown hero like you-a kid from Akron.

I started hearing more about the foundation as Michelle spoke to our instructional coach group about learning from mistakes and growing up and going away...and coming home too.  I learned more about how you are #morethananathlete with all the philanthropy you and your team are making happen every. single. day.  I don't think there's an award big enough to give you all for the lives you've touched and impacted in special ways throughout your career.

As I started working on the curriculum team for the I Promise School, I learned even more through visits to the LJFF Suite-which is very sweet.  I became even more inspired by the work our team and your team would do to launch the I Promise School...

And that brings me to the staff and student promises.  Our staff and our students take these seriously.  One of  the parts I personally took serious is the message to take time and take care of myself.

I became inspired to focus on being more active.  I have been going to the rec center, meeting with a trainer and working out on a more regular basis.  As a result, I have worked on clean eating and setting goals on becoming more fit.  I think about pushing through the pain as I work out and have gained incredible respect for all the working out you must be doing to stay on top of your game.

I can't thank you enough for all of the support you and the family foundation have provided to me, our staff and most importantly, our students as we move through our first year at the I Promise School.  I am personally and professionally grateful to you in such a heartfelt way I am practically in tears as I write this post.  I truly feel blessed to be a member of the I Promise School Family.

I promise to keep running even when it seems like my tank might be empty.  When the going gets tough, the tough get going...

Gratefully,

Amy Rudd

I Promise School Year’s Eve

Tonight is School Year’s Eve.  The night before the first official day of school.  I originally wrote about School Year’s Eve in this post over at The Rudder.

I want badly to ignore the butterflies in my stomach and nod off to sleep like I do every night but this night feels different because tomorrow is different.

I am working with the most amazing team of people ever assembled.  And tomorrow we will change the path for 240 students who will be the first classes of students to enter the I Promise School. A school where joint ventures and partnerships are expected as with Akron Public Schools and the LeBron James Family Foundation.  A school that came from a dream of Lebron James, who’s more than an athlete.  He keeps promises to his kids and community and continues to give so much.

As LeBron shared via Twitter, earlier today, the opportunity before us as our students begin tomorrow is “to help them to find their passion, give back to our community and change the world!!”  He’s leading the charge along with his foundation, the Akron Public Schools and an army of partners and volunteers who’ve been quietly working behind the scenes to set the stage for success.

I keep thinking about resolutions for this new year...I think about the ones I wrote on six years ago with my first graders and I want these for our kiddos at the I Promise School too.  As the ball drops toward the launch of a monumental beginning, here are the resolutions I want to share:

Give Thanks and Build the community-Together
Read and Write every day-Together
Use tech to collaborate, critique, create and critically think-Together
Problem solve and Persevere through work-Together
Think and create with the most amazing teachers ever-Together.

I’m ready-except I have to wait...as Principal Davis says, “Let’s get it! Let’s go!”
And I’m ready to step off! #WeAreFamily

#Flipgrid Fever

Over the past few days, I've been diving in to work on all things technology as our district hosted a mini-tech conference #APS3T2018 Teach, Tech, Transform.  By all accounts, I would say that most participants agreed that our conference was a success.  We had around 300 participants join in the learning with us.  We were blessed to have Vicki Davis, @CoolCatTeacher, as our Keynote Speaker for Day 1 and @StephanieDonofe for Day 2.  They both shared inspiring stories that were woven through their keynote speeches which tugged at the heartstrings of all who listened.

The @CoolCatTeacher shared great advice with us-a reminder to pick three things and innovate like a turtle-slow and steady wins the race.  Stephanie's great advice was-keep moving forward no matter what.  I will heed the advice and move forward with three things I want to get better at...my first is here-#flipgrid.

The tech tool I'm most inspired by is FlipGrid.  An announcement made yesterday about Flipgrid was that it will now be free to all who use it.  I am sure that this will only be for a short time so get it while it's hot!  I attended a deeper dive session today on how to use Flipgrid in the classroom.  One of the ideas shared was to use it as a reflection tool for students, teachers and parents.  I also like the idea of using as a bucket filler-a way to show kindness to others.

I hope to use it as a way for students to review books that they unearth as they participate in our school-wide after school book club when we start back to school.  I am looking forward to hearing what they have to say as they review and recommend their books to a friend.  It's very exciting to know that we now have a tool that can visually capture students' thinking so they can participate in making their mark on the world.

Thanks to Kristi and Jen for hosting the session and allowing us time to explore the #flipgrid tool.  I know I now have flipgrid fever.  LOL!

Grapefruit-A Fruit in Disguise

From the Wonder of the Day-I wrote a poem about this fruit in disguise...using the wonder to capture ideas and words about the topic of grapefruit.  Thanks to Wonderopolis for always inviting curiosity!

Grapefruit-The Fruit in Disguise

Grapefruit growing wild and free

Discovered in search of the knowledge tree

Seen by people, first given a name

"the forbidden fruit"-eaten in shame

Seems you're a cross between one and another

Pommelo and orange-one was your mother

At first you're a little like grapes-a little bit strange
then as you age you grow bigger and change 

Moving through time and revealed in print

Growing on trees and worth a mint

Tasty and healthy, packing a punch

Grab one from the grocery and eat it for lunch!

Thankful for Hughes and Lunart-our naming guys

Who helped us to learn about this fruit in disguise!

Stamp and Letter! Poems from Wonder

A few years ago, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater at the Poem Farm inspired me to write poems about the Wonder of the Day from Wonderopolis.  She called it, "Wallow in Wonder". During National Poetry Month, I am always inspired to write a poem or two but don't always commit to the time it takes.

Since I am on Spring Break, I am straining my brain, shaking off the rust and working to pen some poetry. I read the Wonder of the Day-#2119 How Much Does a Postage Stamp Cost?  I felt inspired to watch and listen to the videos, capture some words in my notebook and then pen a poem...in two voices-the Stamp and the Letter.

Who is better?  Stamp or Letter?

Dear Stamp,

Money spent-

Letter sent-

because of you,

my message goes through

Thank you postage stamp so true,

Thank you Stamp for being you!

Dear Letter,

Without you I'm nothing true

Unspent,

Unsent,

Because of you, I've a job to do-

Me and Postmark- and you go through

Thanks to you, Letter true

Thank you much for being you!

So  now we know

neither is better-

Each needs the other

Stamp and Letter!

Created with pix from Pixabay
and Google Drawings

Google Slides into Home with the Pear Deck Add-on

Are your presentations pleasingly plump with interaction or familiarly flat without any connection?

These days, connecting and being in tune with audience interactivity throughout a presentation is key.   I work to blend the right amount of all things as I get ready to jump into learning with my crowd.  You might ask how?  A tool I've started using is Google Slides with the Pear Deck add-on.
See these examples for how it might work:

Using Google Slides with the Pear Deck Add-on Templates

Happy "Pearing" teachers!

Code of Kindness

The Code of Kindness!

I decided to create QR codes that inspire thoughts of kindness.   First, I created a table in Word with two columns (one for the QR codes and one for quotes) I chose ten random quotes that had to do with generating kindness.  I then pasted all ten of them in the second column of the table.  Next, I went to this QR code Generator Website http://www.qrstuff.com/ .  

At the site, I chose the data type, pasted the content (one quote at a time) and chose the color.  Then, I downloaded and renamed each one with the first few words of the quote.  I did this so I knew which one I needed to paste in the word table I made.

Some words of wisdom if you choose to do this!  Make sure you edit your quotes before you paste them in the QR creator.   If you edit them after you generate the code, you have to redo the code so you’ll get the edited version.  If you want to choose a different color, make sure you do that before downloading as well.  And finally, light colors are difficult for scanners to pick up so try to use darker colors if you change them from black to color.

Have fun and remember to “Choose Kind!” generate a code of kindness this year!

Learning about a Person's Reading History

Shared by one of our wonderful presenters
Kim Haskins

#reflective

Last week, I attended a wonderful 2.5 day IB (International Baccalaureate) Workshop on Inquiry Reading and Writing.  On our last day, we were encouraged to write an action plan to say how we would take our new learning and put it in place.  I wrote that I would share some of my new learning with the world!

So, I want to begin by walking through one of the first activities we did as a group-mapping our reading and writing lives...

Our presenters broke us up into two groups-one to write about our journey of reading and the other our journey of writing.

They got us started by playing beautiful, peaceful background music from the piano guys...I made a youtube playlist of their music...so relaxing and wonderful to write to as I journeyed through these memories...
Here's my playlist:

Play it as you write about your reading and writing journey...if you need questions to jog your memory, check out this list of questions:  Reading History

Here's collage pic of how some of our pieces turned out...

and here's how mine turned out...

A common theme among the group who shared around me was the influence of their mothers on their literacy development.  I thought it important to note how parents influence literacy development...and I read facts from this site:  50 Top Literacy Statistics

Here's Stat 6 which talks about a mom's influence in terms of vocabulary development.

Stat # 6  Researchers found that when mothers frequently spoke to their infants, their children learned almost 300 more words by age 2 than did their peers whose mothers rarely spoke to them. Huttenlocher et al., 1991. Early vocabulary growth: Relation to language input and gender. Developmental Psychology, 27, 236-248.

I remember how my mom would read to me from my "I Can Read" books.  She influenced my literacy development and I moved from the bottom to the top reading groups as I moved through the primary grades.  I developed and evolved even more as a reader once I reached fourth grade and to this day can still remember how my fourth grade teacher read aloud.  Love you still Mrs. Hunter.

So I end  this blog post-curious to know your reading and writing history-share it with the world.

What does it look like?  Who's influenced you?  How will you influence others in the world?

Share your story...