May '19- Our Digital Hays

Our Digital Hays Volume 1 Issue 3 May/June 2019 “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” -Alan Kay

Table of Contents What’s New in Our Digital Hays? Celebrating Innovation ● Genius Educator Award featuring Amy Schutze (MMS) ● Genius Educator Award featuring Yvonne Schneider (BMS) ● Mrs. Segura’s Webquest Adventures featuring Jennifer Segura (IMP) ● Leading Campus Google PD featuring Kristopher Brown (BVES) ● Hyperdocs featuring Amy Armatta, Jeane Collier, Drew Gregorczyk and Nathan Schmidt (LHS) ● Skype in the Classroom featuring Monica Barker, Katey Curley, Meri Krause, Laura Russian, Jennifer Edwards (BES) ● CHES: Where Tech Specials Really ARE Special featuring Holly Donovan (CHES) ● Genius Hour featuring Ali Tison (WMS) Keep Students Engaged Over the Summer Summer Calendar Meet the Digital Learning Team

What’s New in Our Digital Hays? Fusion is back! Fusion is a one day technology conference right here in our very own district. We are currently looking for presenters to share their digital expertise. This could be a tool you use, a project you have students complete, productivity solutions or anything else you can think up involving digital learning. The conference will be on Monday, July 29th and will count for an exchange day. For more information or to submit a proposal, go to bit.ly/HaysFusion2019. Coming Soon Hays CISD curriculum and instruction and technology departments have come together to approve the purchase of an amazing tool: ClassLink. Classlink is a single sign-on solution that allows you to sign in to your dashboard and automatically be logged in to all accounts. Every student and staff member will have an account. This will be a game changer for preventing time wasted trying to remember passwords. We are excited about being a part of this. Look for more information coming out over the summer and at the beginning of the school year.

Genius Educator Award McCormick Middle School’s innovative librarian, Amy Schutze, is the latest recipient of the Hays Genius Educator Award. The Digital Learning Team presented the award and Principal James Cruz and Library Tech Patti Soriano helped celebrate the event on Friday, March 8, 2019. Amy is an upbeat person who works tirelessly to help MMS students succeed. She’s always looking for new ideas and materials for the library and she writes and receives grants regularly to expand the library’s resources. She is passionate about creating fun and meaningful activities for students including makerspace opportunities and escape rooms that reinforce learning skills. The Library is always the hub of activity and learning at McCormick Middle School as Amy serves every student. Amy’s professionalism shines through with every project or event that she works on whether it involves students, parents, staff or the community. Amy helps with UIL, clubs, and after school activities, and as the National Junior Honor Society Sponsor, she makes sure that students are involved in service projects in the community as well as at MMS. Congratulations to Amy Schutze, a hardworking dedicated educator who truly deserves the Genius Educator Award! Submit a nomination for our next Genius Educator Award winner by clicking HERE.

Genius Educator Award Yvonne Schneider at BMS is the next recipient of the Hays CISD Genius Educator award! The nomination and subsequent decision to award Yvonne this honor was an easy one based on her many successes with innovative practices and creative design. Her work has helped hundreds of students and all campus teachers. Yvonne is an expert in all things Google, and has used her expertise in creating hyperdocs which allow students to have access to vetted resources and innovative ways to demonstrate their understanding. Students have the opportunity to enjoy flexible learning at their own pace and often within the context of their own interests. Yvonne is a superlative example of a teacher who is passionate about supporting teachers, and ensuring student growth and achievement. Congratulations Yvonne! Submit a nomination for our next Genius Educator Award winner by clicking HERE.

By: Eric Rodriguez Let’s go on a learning adventure with Mrs. Segura and her crew as they navigate the uncharted and distant places of the world wide web! Innovation and creative teaching practices are the norm at Impact Center and especially in Mrs. Segura’s classroom. “The Impact Center has its own unique environment and challenges,” Mrs. Segura explained. She started WebQuests years ago and she loves how her students are able to work together. “I feel like grouping students together takes away the isolation…” Her students enjoy the kinds of activities that Here are some examples from Mrs. are possible when using WebQuests. The Segura of ready- made webquests that feedback she receives when they can choose can get you started for creating your the learning path is positive and exciting. “An own! entire world of possibilities opens,” she says. When students talk about how they prefer to World War II Webquest learn and what types of assignments they like best, Mrs. Segura is able to design learning Civil War Webquest pathways that suit her students. “Differentiated instruction is so easy when using WebQuests,” she adds. One of the most important aspects to Mrs. Segura’s approach is that she has conversations about how students learn best. Using these opportunities to teach self-advocacy she hopes that students remember their conversations and continue to be successful. Mrs. Segura offers an important final thought on Webquests: “Students who learn to advocate for their own success will be successful, and that is what I want Impact students to be once they return to their home campus.”

By: Eric Rodriguez Mr. Brown is leading campus professional development on a regular basis for all teachers who desire to know more about Google Apps for Education. Whether it is creating assignments in Google Classroom, or designing a web page in Google Sites, Mr. Brown assists and provides resources to support the interests of his colleagues in an effort to support their professional growth. “The teachers that participate in these trainings have commented that they have a better understanding of the resources available to them,” he adds. One of the most insightful aspects Here are some digital resources that Mr. demonstrating how Mr. Brown is able to deliver Brown has created to help teachers: access to his colleagues is with a sense of purposeful organization. There is a lot to learn Making a simple Google Quiz when it comes to Google Apps for Education. “One of the biggest challenges of technology in Google Form Adventure the classroom is the sheer volume of resources at our disposal while not having access to Process for Recording Instructional adequate training,” said Mr. Brown. He is happy Videos to provide ongoing training in person, one-on-one and digitally. Google File Version History Mr. Brown understands the frustrations associated with trying new things and is always happy to help. The teachers at BVES are happy he is there! “My goal on my campus has been to make our district technology more accessible to teachers and to students,” he says. We are so grateful and appreciative for Mr. Brown’s dedication, sense of innovation, and willingness to support teachers and students.

By: Wacey Tobler High school ELAR has many intersecting Click Here For Click Here For curriculum needs: pre-AP, ACC dual credit, Templates Feedback Advanced Placement, and STAAR. An unintended consequence of these requirements is how quickly ELAR can become test prep, drill and kill, and a stagnant classroom environment. Trust me, I know first hand as a secondary ELAR teacher. LHS ELAR decided shake things up and build some incredible Hyperdocs to re-engage their young scholars. Citing the need to provide students with more control over their learning and the ability to create dynamic learning spaces in the classroom, E1 teachers Jeane Collier and Amy Armatta and E2 teachers Nathan Schmidt and Drew Gregorczyk developed their Hyperdocs over very different content focuses. E2 did theirs over extension lessons for the novel 1984. E1 created three: one over Cover Letters, one for an Expository Research Unit, and the last for their Annotated Bibliography summative assessment. The results were fantastic and students loved it!

By: Wacey Tobler Bringing the real world into the learning space can be challenging at times. Our students must be able see the connections to their learning and how it applies to society and their lives. Fortunately, Skype - the long running video messaging app - was bought by Microsoft in 2011 and a new use was born: Skype in the classroom. A rich collaborative tool, Skype allows educators to connect across the globe as well as set up expert visits that brings the “real world” into the content. It just so happened that we have a few eagle-eyed 1st grade teachers at BES (Katey Curley in particular) who spotted an event with the legendary Dr. Jane Goodall and decided to “swing” (get it?) into action. The result was a fantastically engaging unit filled with a wide range of learning opportunities and lessons. Katey and the rest of the 1st grade team planned an entire day’s worth of lessons around Dr. Goodall in addition to the many interactive digital resources provided via Skype. Where was this when we were in 1st grade? Want to know more? Click here for the Skype in the Classroom Educator Guide (there is even a Microsoft Certification involved with participating). Request a DLC and help us get you set up for your next event! Click Here For Click Here For Her The Resources Adobe Spark Page

By: Ann DeBolt Holly Donovan, Tech Specials Teacher at Carpenter Hill, does an amazing job of teaching the Technology Applications TEKS. She also provides incredible opportunities for CHES Colts to flex their tech muscles in creative ways! Below are just a few of the innovative activities that Colts are doing. Mrs. Donovan’s Game Design Club students, with the help of volunteer parent/programmer Mr. Vieser, have been working hard to learn some coding basics and create apps to share with the world. CHES Emoji Sticker App, https://www.hayscisd.net/Page/5420 Last school year, they published a sticker app that is full of art created by CHES students that can be used in texting. The app is for sale now in the Apple App Store and a 2019 UPDATE will be released in a few weeks for no additional charge! Emoji Splat!, https://www.hayscisd.net/Page/5419 They are also working on a game for the Apple App store called Emoji Splat! Students learned about the design cycle and created all the art work, game play, and sound effects. Mr. Vieser provided the X-code to bring their game ideas to life. We are hoping for a May release of this new game, but are still in the review process. 5th graders were asked to design a “loading” animated graphic to go with the theme of a business or game they would like to create. Click here to see samples of their work. They used ABCya Animate, and it’s actually easier than it looks - you should try it with your students! 1st graders used Google Slides to create “Whoa & Go” Food Posters. Students sorted whoa and go foods, then had to resize and rotate the images to fit inside the body outline. For extra fun, they took pictures with the iPad and learned to crop and mask the photo with an oval shape so only their faces show. Gotta love those Whoa food faces! Thanks Cash & Nico for sharing!

Ali Tison, Wallace Middle School By: Emily Herrin Engaging students in our daily work can be challenging at times, especially if your content area isn’t a favorite for the student. One way WMS teacher Ali Tison has engaged her students this year is through Genius Hour projects. By the time their presentations are being made at the end of the year, these students will have gone through a rigorous preparation to showcase their new learning. The range of student choices for their projects is great! Some students have selected sports topics, environmental issues, or even larger societal challenges. The students were given an option to create a documentary, produce a movie, or solve a problem through their project. In her Google Classroom, Ms. Tison created checkpoints throughout the project for students to help manage their time and stay on track for completion at the end of the year. For many students, like Raul, this is the first time he’s participated in a Genius Hour Project. As an avid baseball fan, he has selected the study the Major League Baseball teams here in Texas and create a documentary about his research. Kezia’s choice for her research revolves around the budget problem that NASA encounters on a yearly basis, and potential solutions for them! She likes being able to spend some time learning about something that could positively affect her community. Catarina’s project is also problem/solution oriented. She is making a movie about the repatriation of Native Americans whose remains have been unearthed. One of the goals of the Indigenous Cultures Institute in San Marcos is to help with this reburial process. The list of interesting projects is truly outstanding and I am looking forward to seeing the final project presentations! These students have taken this learning opportunity to the next level. To find out more, visit geniushour.com or request your DLC.

EngagedKeep Students Over the Summer Elementary By: Jeannine Freeman Stay Connected Keep parent communication tools open such as remind, seesaw, dojo, etc… Let parents know you will continue to share resources through this app as you come across them. If you don’t already use one of these tools, click the image below for a getting started tutorial. Give students your email address. Encourage them to write you letters and let you know what they are doing this summer. Only do this if you plan to check your email and respond. Share Resources Send a flyer home with resources for the summer such as Learning A-Z, DreamBox, Kyle and Buda public library calendars, etc… Click HERE for summer flyer samples. Feel free to copy them and edit them to meet your students’ needs. Secondary Activities Track your summer activities and/or have students track their summer activities using Google Tour Builder. This tool can also be used to teach events in a book. Click HERE for a tutorial on Google Tour Builder. Explore the world outdoors with geocaching. Geocaching is a free treasure hunt using geolocations. Download the app, create an account and get started immediately. Click HERE for more information on geocaching and how to get started. Encourage students to get a library card at the public library and read over the summer.

Summer Calendar Webinars Face To Face Sessions Thursday, June 13 Wednesday, June 12 12:30-1:30 Organize My Drive 8:30-9:30 Gettin’ Googley With It (Office Staff) 1:30-2:30 Google Keep/Docs 12:30-3:30 Gettin’ Googley With it 2:30-3:30 Google Slides/Drawings (Administrators) Tuesday, June 18 Wednesday, June 19 8:30-11:30 12:30-1:30 Google Forms Test Drive OneDrive (Central Office Staff) 1:30-2:30 Google Sheets 2:30-3:30 Google Classroom Wednesday-Thursday, July 24-25 8:30-3:30 Blended Learning 2 Day Institute Thursday, June 27 8:30-9:30 Learning A-Z Monday, July 29 8:30-4:00 9:30-10:30 Dream Big With DreamBox Fusion 10:30-11:30 Blended Learning Basics Thursday, August 1 8:00-3:30 Tuesday, July 9 Library Con 8:30-9:30 Google Sites 9:30-10:30 Extend Your Knowledge with Tuesday, August 6 Chrome Extensions 9:30-11:30 Level 1 Google Certification 10:30-11:30 Add to Your G Suite Tools with 12:30-3:30 Level 2 Google Certification Add-ons View Google Calendar Thursday, July 18 8:30-9:30 Organize My Drive 9:30-10:30 Google Keep/Docs 10:30-11:30 Google Slides/Drawings 12:30-1:30 Google Classroom 1:30-2:30 Google Forms 2:30-3:30 Can Ya’ Canva? Tuesday, July 23 View Descriptions 8:30-9:30 Classlink Single Sign-on Solution 9:30-10:30 Google Calendar for Students 10:30-11:30 Blended Learning Basics 12:30-1:30 Dream Big With DreamBox 1:30-2:30 Once You POP, the Fun Don’t Stop 2:30-3:30 ClassLink Single Sign-on Solution

Meet the Team Jeannine Freeman currently serves as the Director of Digital Learning at Hays CISD and is in her 9th year of education. Prior to this role, she worked as a 1st grade teacher and district instructional technology specialist. Jeannine earned her M.Ed. in Educational Technology and has Master Technology Teacher, ESL, and Special Education certifications. Director of Jeannine’s passion for ed tech has helped her earn numerous Digital Learning endorsements and she is regarded as an expert in her field. Well respected throughout the state, she currently serves as President of TEC-SIG, an EdTech coordinator special interest group in TCEA. Because of her knowledge and drive, she has served on the steering committees for ISTE 2017, TCEA 2017-2019, and has presented at numerous district, regional, state, and international conferences. Emily Herrin is the Online and Blended Learning Specialist for Hays CISD. This is her 12th year in Hays CISD and her 19th in education. She has taught 3rd grade, 1st and 5th grade Bilingual, as well as served as a Digital Learning Coach at a variety of campuses. Online and Emily is passionate about personalizing learning for students, meeting Blended them where they are and pushing for excellence! Technology allows us to Learning innovate in our classrooms and engage learners. Specialist

Ann DeBolt is a District Digital Learning Coach with over 20 years of instructional technology experience. She received her BS in Elementary Education from the University of Texas at Austin and M.Ed. in Educational Technology from Texas A&M University. She is a member of TCEA and Techs4Tex. Ann loves helping others discover new uses for technology to make learning fun. Digital Learning Eric Rodriguez is a District Digital Learning Coach with over 15 years Coach of educational experience in all content areas, elementary through secondary. He received his BA in Behavioral Arts and Social Sciences Digital Learning from Sul Ross State University in Alpine Texas, a M.S.Ed in Coach Educational Technology from Walden University, and is currently a PhD in Education candidate, specializing in educational technology Digital Learning and design. Eric’s philosophy in educational technology is, “make Coach learning visible”. He enjoys helping teachers and students express their thinking to an authentic audience. Wacey Tobler is a District Digital Learning Coach with 9 years of educational experience with specializations in secondary ELAR and Gifted and Talented. He received his BA in English from Texas State University and his M.S. in Learning Technologies from The University of North Texas. He is a member of TCEA, TEC-SIG, and is a Level 2 Google Certified Educator. Wacey is passionate about helping teachers foster deeper relationships with students by incorporating purposeful instructional technology to create a personalized learning experience in their classrooms. Digital Learning Request a DLC Website

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