- Welcome from Samantha
- Something to make you think
- Something we think you'll like
- Tool of the week - Custom Headers
- Microsoft, Google and Apple tips
- Website of the week - 360Schools
- YouTube Channel of the Week - Yoga With Adriene
- Newsletter for School Leadership & Administration
- Latest podcast digs into the role of technology in the classroom
- Our latest free face to face training day
- Join the UTB Team
- Win a free online course
We have something new to share with you...
Hello there from Masked Melbourne!
As many of you know, the UTB training team is spread across Australia and New Zealand. Which means that us Aussie's have been watching with envy as our Kiwi colleagues have largely been returning to life and training as normal (well, with the exception of the recent Auckland hiccup!) while we're still grounded.
However, one of the upsides of being desk-bound for many months is that we've had an opportunity to work on some new projects.
I'm excited to announce that one of these is launching tomorrow - Wednesday 2 September.
LearnBytes is a new web show/podcast that delivers byte-sized pieces of wisdom so that you can learn how to increase your efficiency and productivity, embrace your natural creativity and lead with impact.
Each short episode will feature my guest racing against the clock to share their wisdom with you.
You can watch the episodes on the Using Technology Better YouTube channel (subscribe here), or listen to them on your favourite podcast app. Being byte-sized, they’re the perfect accompaniment to brekkie, lunch or a cuppa :-)
We've got two great episodes lined up for release day. The easiest way to make sure you can find them is to head over to Instagram and follow @LearnBytes.
We hope you enjoy this new content and would love to hear your feedback!
- Samantha
Something to make you think...
Emerging Trends in Classroom Education
Image from wikimediacommons (author: Sebastiaan ter Burg)
It was with much sadness that we read this week about the passing of Sir Ken Robinson. He challenged the thinking of many teachers across the globe and, among many other things, championed for the continued development of creativity in our classrooms.
Hearing of his passing made me reflect on my own practices and priorities - and low and behold the very next day a link to this website dropped into my email. It's from Google and looks at emerging trends in education today. While creativity is not explicitly mentioned, it is woven through all the concepts included.
What is super interesting with this link is that it compares the landscape in different countries - check out the NZ report.
And in the meantime I'll continue to look for ways the integrate creativity and passion into all I do.
Thank you Sir Ken for all you did for education - you will be greatly missed.
Something we think you'll like
Google Meet Breakout extension
One of our awesome Victorian schools (who are currently teaching remotely) recently asked us to check out this Google Meet Breakout Chrome extension.
I'd seen some of these before and they were pretty buggy, so I had low expectations. BUT...this one is awesome!!
If you've been looking for a breakout room solution for Google Meet, definitely check it out.
It does require a little bit of setup, but once you've done that it's simple to use. I recommend clicking the help icon in the app and watching all the how-to videos. They are a great resource to get you started.
Tool or tip of the week
So you want to get creative with your own headers...
We often get asked how to make personalised headers for Google Classroom or other tools that teachers are using. It's such a great way to create connections with your students - especially if you are working remotely.
Tony Vincent recently tweeted this super helpful infographic so we thought we'd share it with you all in case you missed it.
Check out the size you need for the most common tools.
Google Tip
Did you know you can insert Drawings in a Google Sheet?
Google Drawings is an awesome tool that allows you to create an endless array of outcomes - from graphic organisers to comics retelling the main ideas of a story and so much more!
But did you know you can use this amazing tool from right inside a Google Sheet? Create interactives for graphing, insert a video to support a concept or play a game - all without leaving the sheet.
Classroom / Lesson Idea
Mondrian art meets basic facts practice 😃
Something we are often talking about with teachers is the way they can integrate digital technology into their everyday classroom practice.
This activity will not only help your students learn some skills with Google Sheets but they will also learn about the artist Piet Mondrian while practising their basic facts. They may even be developing some critical thinking skills as well!
Website of the week
360Schools
Have you been looking for some pretty awesome 360 degree photos that would engage and stimulate your students? Well look no further!
https://schools.360cities.net/ is a free website that hosts thousands of panoramic images from around the world. They are able to be viewed through VR headsets or embedded into blogs and other pages.
There is a search function that allows you to filter for specific images and before you know it your students are exploring the world from on the ground.
YouTube Channel of the Week
Free, fun yoga practices for you and your students
Are you or your students feeling a bit stressed out, overwhelmed or just in need of something new and different?
How about giving some yoga a try?!
The Yoga With Adriene YouTube channel is full of fun, free practices - including some designed specifically for teachers and the classroom.
The 10 minute standing Yoga for the Classroom video is perfect to do with your students - whether you're teaching them in-class or remotely. What a good way to get them out of their seats and moving!
If you're looking for something just for you, check out the 30 minute Yoga for Teachers. It's a gentle practice that's great for clearing the mind after a long day. Plus, you get to see Benji - Adriene's cute dog!
UTB updates you may have missed
Installing Minecraft: Education Edition on Chromebooks – Have you wanted to use Minecraft: Education Edition but couldn’t since you use Chromebooks in your classroom? Great news! Microsoft has just released Minecraft: Education Edition for Chromebooks and in this post you’ll learn all the steps you need to install it on your school’s Chromebooks using the G Suite admin console.
The Goldilocks approach to finding a technology funding model that actually works: Ep 17 - In this week’s OutClassed Podcast, Mike and Blake are joined by Matt Robinson to discuss how to fund your technology and infrastructure plans.
Matt has tried just about every funding model available and despite being in a low socio-economic area has now got a thriving BYOD program where over 95% of students purchase a device…and not one of those nasty cheapest possible price point devices!
This week we dive deep into…
- How Matt’s school have approached technology spending and what is working
- How to engage your community to own your BYOD (or school purchased) program
- Best practice for budgeting for technology across the school
And more!
To see all the OutClassed episodes go to utb.fyi/outclassed
- Mike Reading
What device is best in education? Frameworks to help you decide – Ep 16 - In this week’s OutClassed Podcast, Mike and Blake continue on their discussion regarding the 7 essential elements of school transformation framework. This week it is all about technology and infrastructure.
This week we dive deep into…
- What you must consider when looking at other school's technology plans.
- Using the school excellence framework to consider what data you need to gather when informing decisions.
- How to enable a great help desk system and issues to watch out for.
- Which device is best.
And more!
To see all the OutClassed episodes go to utb.fyi/outclassed
Something you want us to blog about? Make a request here or check out our website to see all our posts.
Support Staff Training Day
We've designed a training day especially for support staff. 😁
They're invited to a practical, hands-on session designed specifically for them to develop skills and confidence when using a chromebook and / or iPad.
Discover tips and tricks to use a chromebook or iPad to stay organised and communicate with others. We’ll show you some of the best apps, extensions and tools available that will make a real difference to how your students engage with content and show what they know.
Would your support staff be keen to attend? We have 3 days available in Hamilton, Auckland or Cromwell.
Join the UTB Team as a trainer!
We have a few training opportunities to join the UTB training team in Australia and New Zealand.
We're keen to hear from people who may be interested in full time, part time or casual work with us.
If you are a passionate educator, digitally savvy and keen to explore training options fill in this form to express your interest. We'll get back to you with more details!
WIN A FREE UTB COURSE!
SHARING IS CARING!
We love getting your feedback about ideas you've used from this newsletter or from one of our training sessions!
In fact, we get such a kick out of it that every fortnight we want to give someone who shares the love a free online course of your choice - valued at up to $300!
All you need to do is a share a photo or video of an activity that was inspired by something we shared with you (could be from face to face, online training or the newsletter), with a quick caption telling us what's happening in it!
Here are a couple of ways you can share...
- Share it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tag us in with @Usingtechbetter, #utbSHARE and #utbPD
- Not on Facebook, Twitter or Insta? No worries - email it to us at support@usingtechnologybetter.com and we'll share it out on our social media
SHARE TO BE IN TO WIN NEXT FORTNIGHT!!!
Credits:
Created with images by Yue Shian Lee - "Coast of New Zealand" • Simon Berger - "Pink toned thoughts on a hike — Everything comes in waves, even mountains." • Anunay Mahajan - "Musings" • Rahul Chakraborty - "A Trailer of the Future"