Aim to Be Awesome, Not Perfect

I am really struggling to find time to read these days (or even the desire to do so). Luckily for me, professional development can come in a variety of ways.  These days, my favorite way to learn is with podcasts. Here are a few of my favorites: Google Teacher Tribe  -  I really enjoy this podcast each week. It is a great way to keep up with what is going on with Google updates. Another favorite part of mine is the listener questions - usually I have those questions too!  Shukes and Giff  - This is another favorite because of all the little "a-ha's" that they share. I have learned so much! EduDuctTape - a new fave! I love how Jake and his guests ask questions and then come up with solutions! House of Edtech   - I don't listen to this one weekly, but I make sure I listed to the App Smackdown each year.  My favorite part of the podcast is the EdTech Recommendation. Check This Out  - I don't listen to this one weekly, but my favorite part is the

One of my goals this year at school was to increase communication between the campus and the community.  I started an Instagram and a new Twitter account for my campus.  Since I feel like I am somewhat successful in this goal, I thought it might be time to document what is working for me. Tips for my School Social Media Accounts:  - Create them with a school master/generic account - that way if something happens to you, they can still be accessed by other school staff. - Run your social media through Instagram. Both Facebook and Twitter can be connected with Instagram, so you only have to post in one spot.  (I heard Buffer works with IG to schedule posts, but I haven't had time to look at that yet) - Use collages for fun colors, more pictures and more interest. Use  Adobe Spark , Canva , or Google Draw to create what you post. Tips: Adobe Spark is great if you don't have a photo for your post or you need a layout suggestion.  Canva is great if you have a p

I just spent last week learning at the TCEA Conference in San Antonio, TX.  I got to hear about tips and tricks from Leslie Fisher, 'new school' with Caitlyn Tucker, and future ready schools with Thomas Murray. Here are few of my "a-ha" moments! Use Remind not only as a reminder of due dates and tests, but use it as a way to show off the good things you are doing in your class!  Playlists are a great way to personalize learning! Here is a great blog post by Caitlyn Tucker.  Radio.garden - hear radio stations from around the world! Station Rotations in Google Classroom - that way students have all their information at their fingertips and they can reference it again. Things I had heard of and I need to look at again: Apple Clips , Flippity , Mentimeter , and Gimkit .

This week my Tech Treats Newsletter included a few Google Drive tips... check them out below! Take Pictures in Drive   Tired of taking photos on your phone and then having to upload them to Drive? I just discovered you can take photos from the Drive app! Open the app, click the + button on the bottom right, and an option is take a photo! It saves in whatever folder you have open in Drive! Only one negative - it only takes one photo at a time.  Shortcut .NEW   I heard about this first on the Google Teacher Tribe podcast, episode 62 . You can create a new Google Drive file simply by typing the following in the omnibox: docs.new slides.new sheets.new form.new sites.new Here is a full list of what you can type to quickly create something new! Searching Drive Tips   Check out this video for some helpful Drive search tips!  What other Google Drive Tips do you have?