Math TEKS Technology Integration

Hi Everyone it is Kristen from Teacher Playground. I hope each of you had a blessed Thanksgiving.

Happy Black Friday!

I hope you enjoy this Math TEKS Technology Integration spreadsheet that I put together for grades K-5. 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-TEKS-Technology-Integration

http://tinyurl.com/txmathintegration

Instructional Coaching

What is an Instructional Coach?
An instructional coach is someone who provides teacher support in the classroom with a helping hand and a loving heart.

They are many things:

1. Resource Provider
2. Data Coach
3. Curriculum Specialist
4. Instructional Specialist
5. Mentor
6. Classroom Supporter
7. Learning Facilitator
8. School Leader
9. Catalyst for Change
10. Learner

What makes an educator a good instructional coach?
To me a good instructional coach first establishes a relationship with the teacher or teachers they are working with. If you want someone to listen to the ideas and suggestions you have, they have to know that you care and are there for them throughout the entire process. A good instructional coach listens to the teacher's needs and finds the best possible student tested resources that will work. The coach models the lessons and provides support to the teacher even if its just to be there for moral support.

Also a good coach will admit they do not know the answer if they do not know, but will find out the information instead making up false information. There is nothing wrong with not knowing everything...we are all humans. If you get caught making up information, you have lost all respect.

Collaborate together as you will find learn so much from each other. The experience is very rewarding and beneficial to our growth as educators.

Never treat a teacher like you are better than them. We are all in this together. Singleness of Purpose
Patience is key! Put yourself in a situation where you were told you needed to do something right now, but you had no clue how to do it. Would you want someone talking down to you? I bet not. Be there and remember to smile!

Creating a Mock Election using Google Forms

I wanted to post about using Google Forms to create a Mock Election for the upcoming election. This is a great way to get your students involved since they are not able to vote yet. I worked with one of my librarians to get the form created and the webpage set up. This has been such an awesome experience!

To learn how to set up a Google Form, check out this article:

http://support.google.com/drive/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=87809

Embed a form in a website or blog

If you'd like to embed your form in a website or blog after you create and save your form, click the More actions drop-down menu at the top of the form, select the Embed option, and paste the URL into your site or blog.

 

Using Google Forms to Create an Online Quiz

 

If you are interested in creating an online quiz, Google Drive can help you with that. One of the tools in Google Drive is Forms; you can create an assortment of questions, including short answer, long answer, multiple choice, and check boxes for multiple responses. I am a huge fan of the Forms and I don't know what I would do without them. I even love the fact that you can add a cool background for your form. When the quiz is ready you can email it to your students or even better, you can embed it in your web page. If it is embedded, then your students can go to your webpage, take the quiz, and submit. You will find the results posted in your Google Drive account and listed in a spreadsheet. On the downside, it does not grade the quiz for you, but you can set it up with some extra steps to grade it for you. Check out this awesome article that walks you through the process...http://planetoftheweb.com/components/promos.php?id=534

For detailed info about creating a quiz with Google Forms, read the following article and/or watch the video tutorial:

Article:Making Online Quizzes with Google Docs http://www.quiz-creator.com/blog/2009/09/making-online-quiz-with-google-docs-1-creating-quizzes/

Congratualtions to our Winners!

Congratulations to All of our Winners! I appreciate everyone's support in celebrating the mark of 100 Likes on Facebook.This has been such an amazing experience and I never imagined all the love I would get from this. I am just so happy! I am now looking forward to 100 Followers on my blog next.