Google spreadsheets are often met with an amount of scepticism from teachers as the assumption is spreadsheets are complex and difficult.  The SAS ES Ed Tech Team is hoping to demystify Google Spreadsheets during our LOFT PD sessions the week of March 28th - April 1st.  These sessions are all about learning:

1. Practical classroom uses for Google spreadsheets
2. How to make your data visible with charts and graphs
3. Quick tips on user-friendly ways to view your assessment data

3rd grade teacher, Cayla Shaw, attended the Wednesday Autocrat PD session and participated in a conversation centered on the broader applications of this Google Add-On.  Not only was Cayla keen to understand details of how Autocrat works, her mind was already developing a plan on how to implement it in the classroom.  She quickly saw the benefit of a more efficient way to asses and give feedback on student learning with Autocrat.  Kudos to Cayla for then creating a form for students to complete, make a document to merge the data onto, provide teacher feedback on the spreadsheet, and then run Autocrat.  See the finished assessment below, an outstanding example of innovative and creative teaching.

This week's session in The Loft marks the beginning of our partnership with University of Northern Iowa. 

Personal Best Form 

We've all responded to a Google Form at some point. Wouldn't you love to move beyond simply data collection via survey? To something that can empower and enrich the learning of your students? Welcome then to this week's session!

In this week's Loft PD session, you will score some quick wins, and be exposed to how 'Add ons' can be used to move past mere surveys, in fact impact student learning.

And the Academy Award goes to..........

It's time to get ready for this year's Film Festival. In preparation for this 2nd Annual Film Festival, we will be providing Loft PD sessions on iMovie. Come to one of our sessions to learn all about how you can make a trailer or a full-on movie!

Explore the functions of iMovie, and explore the creative ways in which students can share their learning, too.

K-2 WL teachers attended a Seesaw session in The Loft last Wednesday and began implementing this tool for students to share their learning straight away.  After testing it out with G1 and G2 students, I was so pleased to read their positive feedback.  See their comments below:

"On Thursday I did a Seesaw trial with Grade 1 kids, then checked Friday to see if there were any login, "error" issues. There were none, so I plan to use Seesaw from now on for G1 and G2. One benefit is students could easily listen to each other's work, very smooth."

"I tried it with my G1 class too. It went very well. Kids are really quick getting familiar with seesaw. Students can view each other's work which is really nice. And it's easier for me and my assistant to manage it too."