AP Bio Cell Communication Using Stop Motion

Thinking about how to learn concepts in a different way is always exhilarating and challenging.  Of course it's easier to read (or lecture) about the content and answer questions, but DOING seems to allow the content to be understood in greater detail.








Mrs. Vertz did an amazing job of transforming cell communication content into an active learning and creating opportunity.

See the details

Watch some video here, here, and here!

View a final product.

8 Deadly Sins of Camerawork When Using an iPad

Our high school physical education students will be creating energetic lifting videos.  We will be teaching them how to film correctly when using an iPad.

After each "deadly sin" was introduced, students partnered with another student and practiced how to properly film based on each of the "sins".

I liked how students saw what was an incorrect/correct skill and then practiced the skill correctly.

I also believe this was an outstanding example of how iPads are so portable and function in so many ways.  If we had Chromebooks in our school as our one to one device, this would not have been as efficient as the "all in one" iPad.  You'll also see a great example of team teaching and the very best thing I like about my job.  After the introduction to the learning opportunity, I presented the tech skills that students will be using.  To complete the introduction, the physical education teacher, Ms. Retzlaff, provided the specific requirements and expectations.

The teacher is the facilitator of the content.
The digital learning specialist (me) is the facilitator of the tech tools & skills associated with content.

View all our pictures!

View the presentation below!

World History: Levels of Creation Options For Students

Our World History teachers have allowed for students to learn about a famous person in history while creating something.  These creations are at "different levels" of text. 
👉If students like writing text, magazines and newspaper templates are provided.  If students like creating with green screens and video, the option is available. 

We feel this learning opportunity allows for students to build critical thinking, communication, and creativity skills.  All of the skills employers are looking for in an employee.

We also feel this assignment meets multiple ISTE Standards.

View Complete Options

👉Tools Students Have Choice To Use

• Magazine Cover Template https://bighugelabs.com/
• Time Magazine (Cover ONLY) Template: Preview -|- Copy
• Political Cartoon  (Use Comic Maker HD found in Self Service)
• Download (Keynote File): ipad-newspaper-template-red    Looks Like
• GreenScreen by DoInk
• iMovie

"Five Minute Finds" and Nearpod Leverage Tools for More Than Projects

Integrating technology tools for "projects only" is not an effective way to help students become great consumers of content, critically thinkers of that content, collaborators, and creators.  Utilizing a "five minute find" in a lesson and incorporating activity cards (with Nearpod) can help utilize the power of technology tools during learning experiences.

Collaboration With Arcadia SD, New London SD, Ashland SD To Make The Best Pet Food

With the help of Mr. Santy, Small Vets Instructor, we embarked on a collaborative learning experience that is unlike anything we have attempted before at Pulaski High School.

With our Bright Bytes surveys from 2016-2017, students revealed to us that "collaborating with others outside of our school district" was something we "never did".

With this data, I decided to make it a goal to decrease the "never" and increase the "every few months" as a starting point for content areas at Pulaski High School.  I approached Mr. Santy about the idea to collaborate with students in another school district.  He immediately thought of the small vet learning opportunity for creating a pet food.  I was able to provide a tutorial on the publishing tool as students will produce a website that will market their product.



I also provided a tutorial on the features of Google Hangout.


I'm thankful that Mr. Santy was willing to attempt the creation of a new pet food with students outside of our school district.  To me, this makes sense.  Learning from people more than one mile away is something that happens in so many businesses on a daily basis.

The details of the learning experience for students was well thought out by Mr. Santy, and the email communication with teachers allowed emails to be exchanged among instructors.  A spreadsheet was used to "match" students with other districts. 

I'm also thankful to Ms. Caelwarts, Ms. Kurowski, and Mrs. Uelmen for allowing the "Google Hangouts" to be opened for our two week period.  Without an "informational and instructional" technology team that has visions of innovative learning, none of this would happen.

U.S. History & Imperialism: Explaining With Creativity

Tools Used:
Mindly App
Explain Everything
Adobe Draw

I'm a huge fan of "Common Craft" type of videos.  Students will be creating "Common Craft" type videos completely on the iPad using their creativity and some tools.  Since 2012 our students have created "Common Craft" type videos, and we have progressed with our tools.  I look back on my first explanation video and we definitely can improve.  I feel we are!



Student Created 2018

Intro to Business: Creating a Radio Spot with GarageBand

Garage Band was the perfect tool for students to create a radio commercial with multiple tracks to make it real.  Creativity, critical thinking, and sharing were major skills practiced during this learning experience.  I appreciate Mr. Otto and Mr. Coenen allowing me to co-teach the lesson.

A Student Final Product

Student 2 Final Product

Student 3 Final Product

Student 4 Final Product

The presentation:

Freshmen Physical Education Creation Tools

Throughout the week, all freshmen students experienced learning opportunities pertaining to creation tools.  Civics and English 9 instructors wanted students to create or publish so we gave them tools to choose.

The tools for physical education were different.  See the presentation below.

Tools For Students To Publish Creatively

All tools accessible on devices using a web browser.



Twitter Template

Instagram Template

Snapchat Template

Facebook Template

Fake Text Messages

Slides Carnival Templates

Adobe Spark Pages

Civics: Amendment Assessment With Choice

Students were provided an amendment and then asked to create something to show their knowledge.

Small Engine Disassemble and Assemble With Choice of Digital Tool 2017

Today, students were introduced to four tools that can help them explain the process of disassembling and assembling a small engine in Mr. Marsh's class.  The presentation included a video from the Service Director at Gandrud Automotive Group which help solidify to the students how valuable a video is in setting potential job candidates apart from others in the industry.

Students have the choice of the following tools:

• iMovie
• Adobe Video
• Explain Everything
• Chatterpix

Video of the introduction and students working.



Thank you Mr. Laatsch for your words of wisdom to our students. 

Stick Around App For High School Psychology Students Teaching Third Graders About The Brain

Students in Mr. Krause's Psychology class created literature paper books to teach third graders about the brain.  From those books, students created interactive puzzles using the Stick Around app that will be an interactive learning game following the reading of the book.

Students were collaborating with a partner to critically think about how the book could be made into an interactive puzzle.  Once those determinations were set, they created an inner and outer brain puzzle complete with images, text, and definitions. 
This is all based on our district's mission and vision.

The Stick Around app was the PERFECT app for this learning activity!

VIEW ALL THE IMAGES

PechaKucha Presentations in Criminal Justice

So many students present multiple times in their school career.  We have established a "PechaKucha" presentation opportunity for groups of students in several content areas.  One of those areas is Criminal Justice.  Today I team taught with Mr. Pirman and explained the workflow for the students.

• Create slides that are 20 seconds long in Explain Everything.  Slides should contain image(s) with 20 seconds of narration describing the content.
• Since the students are in a Flex Mod schedule, they may not be with their partners from now until the due date.  After students create their portion in Explain Everything, they will export the EE as a video to their camera roll.  They can either share their finalized portion via Google Drive or AirDrop.
• Each portion will then be combined in iMovie
• Students will take the finalized iMovie and submit the creation on Canvas

Introduce To Students (Option)


To introduce the concept I shared with the students the PechaKucha of "The Secret Life of a Pencil".  

We also played a small portion of an example for students.



We also have a number of students actually delivering their "PechaKucha"

Google Keep on the iPad (or Anywhere)

Google Keep is another option in your Self Service store for staff and students to organize all types of notes.  It is also an alternative to Evernote which seems to be slowing down and becoming less user friendly.   It is a simpler option than Notability, but the features are worth "noting".  See what I did there?  Of course, you did!

CANVA: World History Russian Revolution Controlled Twitter Project

It's the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution.

We want students to Tweet as if they were in the midst of the Revolution, but not all students have a Twitter account.

We decided to utilize Canva's Twitter Post Templates so that students can tweet by creating a graphic.  We are introducing the project by including a great resource from RT
Not only are the tweeting, but they have a very interactive website!

Our students utilize iPads as one of their educational tools.  I created a six minute tutorial for the teachers to display during several sections of classes at the same time.



Once students have completed their three twitter graphics, they will submit all three images through CanvasLMS.  Teachers will be able to use Speedgrader to view all images at one time.

Adobe Spark Pages In Criminal Justice

For a few years, our Criminal Justice students used Thinglink to create interactive posters that explained different types of hate crimes.  The final product was good, but the workflow wasn't as easy as it could be on an iPad.

Enter Adobe Spark Pages.

Mr. Pirman stated that this year the workflow was so much smoother.  Students created Adobe Spark Pages creations and shared the links via Canvas (our Learning Management System)

Student 1

Student 2

Canva For Creation, Canvas Discussion For Distribution and Reflection

Today was the submission and reflection in Mrs. Moseng's  High School Health Class for the Cancer Information and Encouragement Project.

Students used the Canva app on their iPads and Canvas Discussions for learning from others and reflection.  The directions for students are below.

A student example:

Student Creation of Encouragement for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Students in action:

ShoulderPod R2 Unboxed

On February 20, 2016 I blogged for the first time on the S1 product from ShoulderPod.  I have always been asked to create videos telling various stories from our high school.


My iPhone is the best camera I own, and today I was able to add R2 The Pocket Rig to my video tool kit!  Please VIEW THE IMAGES as I UNBOX (each image has information that describes the contents) the product and consider watching the video with the assembled product!

The R2 product is fantastic, and I highly recommend it!

Lunch N' Learn Questions & Answers From Staff

Something a little different today (and possibly next week if we don't get through the material)!
I sent a form out to staff asking for technology integration questions of which I would provide the answer!  I didn't provide the link only an image below as I required log in from district.

I created a presentation that we will discuss during lunch!
Great Questions, Helpful Solutions!

Adobe Spark Pages as a "Get To Know Me" Activity in Health Class

Mrs. Moseng learned about Adobe Spark Pages during a recent Lunch N' Learn.  She decided to use the iPad app, Adobe Spark Pages, as the tool for the students to create something that would help Mrs. Moseng know more about the students.

Ryan's Spark Page
Jade's Spark Page
Hannah's Spark Page

If you would like to know more about Adode Spark Pages view how a Flex Mod schedule works.