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Patrick Hausammann

Using BookCreator to organize for Your Classes and Parents

July 25, 2023 by Patrick Hausammann

Written by UnisonEDU member, Denyse Phelps. Connect with her at @LavenderOwl24 on Twitter.

I came across BookCreator at a conference for librarians during a workshop.  Once I attended, my mind just went on overload because there are so many things you can do with this program. Create original books, student created books, presentations, and projects, but I really believe this would be a great way to organize for your students and your parents.  BookCreator allows you to make each book you need with a cover to match. It even has templates if you prefer.  So, you could do lesson books, enrichment books, study guides, reference guides for certain concepts like in math, organize your class schedule, important paperwork, field trip paperwork, collection of student work and the list goes on and on. These are books that will be on your class virtual bookshelf and easily accessible.

Here are three ways you can use BookCreator.  One will be for your classes, the other will be for your parents and the third one will be for you.  

  1. Use BookCreator to organize your lessons that you want students to have choices with, add enrichment activities, and extend learning. Students can also make books that show skills they learned and share with all students in your class to study for upcoming quizzes and tests. Everyone gets to learn, create and share in order to prepare! 
  2. Use BookCreator for your parents as a guide to keep them informed about lessons, information for upcoming tests, how your classroom works, expectations for students and parents, it is a great way for your parents to learn about you, classroom special events and so much more.  It is a great place to organize and house all your school or class newsletters too. It could be a place where all important information is housed like a classroom manual.  Parents could also see the books their children have made as well. These books can even be printed out as keepsakes! 
  3. Finally– you can use the program to keep important dates together in one book, take notes at faculty meetings, or just have fun and create books for your classes to read.

Don’t wait, go check out BookCreator.  Make a free account or pay for one that has even more bells and whistles.  Start learning how to make interactive books to extend learning and understanding in your classrooms.  Plus, it is FUN!

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Filed Under: Blog, UnisonEDU, VSTE Partners Tagged With: UnisonEDU

Common Sense Education Resource Share – July 19, 2023

July 19, 2023 by Patrick Hausammann

An image of students working on laptops in a classroom. A Common Sense Education text overlay appears in the top right of the graphic."Common Sense is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to helping all kids thrive in a world of media and technology. They support pre-K–12 schools with lesson plans, edtech reviews, family resources, and everything else students need to thrive in a connected world." Below is a custom set of resources pulled from this month's newest updates! Check them out via the links and explore even more at www.commonsense.org/education. VSTE is proud to partner with Common Sense Education.


For Teachers:

  • Summer Reading List
  • Cool Math Games for Middle School
  • Teachers' Essential Guide to YouTube
  • Curated Lists of Apps, Sites, etc. sortable by subject, grade, and more!
  • Professional Development Opportunities!

For Parents & Caregivers:

  • Screen Free Activities
  • Keep Your Students and Yourself Safe on Social Media

 


All Resources via Common Sense Education

All VSTE Posts of Common Sense Education Resources

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Filed Under: Blog, Common Sense Education Tagged With: Common Sense Education

What’s  A Meme Got To Do With It?

June 27, 2023 by Patrick Hausammann

Written by UnisonEDU founder, Patrick Hausammann. Connect with him at @PHausEDU on Twitter.

In my years within education, very few things have helped me connect with students as quickly and well as humor. Humor has the great dual benefit of creating both a sense of safety and connection at the same time as it helps boost retention. Think back… when you’ve laughed (I mean really laughed), did you have any concerns for your safety at that moment? Did you worry about not fitting in or being connected to those you were with? Do you have a tendency to remember things more that are tied to funny moments or to things that are just part of a normal day?

Humor and laughter are a big part of positive memories for many people and students. Why not use it in the classroom when we can? Here are some great resources to check out to build upon the thoughts and ideas that may be swirling around after your reading of the introduction: 

  • Using Humor in the Classroom
  • Humor Boosts Retention
  • Does Humor Enhance Learning?
  • How and Why to Use Humor
  • Pros and Cons of Using Humor

One great way I’ve meaningfully incorporated humor into my classes over the years (in addition to only the best dad jokes), is the use of memes. Memes work because they’re quick & relatable. They present the content in an easily digestible way that allows students to show mastery of their learning and teachers to quickly gauge students' understanding. The added bonus of humor makes the activity both more enjoyable and more memorable.

  • How to create easily digestible content worth reading
  • K.I.S.S.
Meme: One does not simply invade Russia in winter.
Meme: If you cut my class I will look for you. I will find you.

Meme’s are also great within the classroom because they are simple to create and take little time to do so. Even if used only as an exit or entrance ticket, they can prove to be a worthwhile addition. I also found them valuable as study tools, note enhancers, and concept reinforcers. The slide deck linked below will provide you with the links throughout this post, some more meme examples, a templates & resources for meme creation, and numerous examples of meme use throughout education. 

Slide image for the presentation "What's a meme got to do with it".

 

https://bit.ly/phaus-smemes

 

UnisonEDU logo

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Filed Under: Coaching, Education, UnisonEDU Tagged With: Coaching, Education, Humor, Humour, Laughing, UnisonEDU

Big Deal Book, June 15th, 2023

June 15, 2023 by Patrick Hausammann

 

 

VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you carefully curated resources designed for K-12 educators. Grants, competitions, web-based and mobile resources and more. We select our favorites from each newsletter but be sure to scroll down and view the whole newsletter. And, since not all the Big Deal Book resources are time sensitive, we provide an archive for you to browse.

This newsletter will help you with Defining Equity, Building Chatbots, Developing AI Literacy & More...

 

Civics Inquiry Lessons Integrating Storytelling, Digital Media, and Literacy

Civic Life Project partners with educators to teach civics through a unique digital storytelling curriculum. In collaboration, Civic Life Project and National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) have launched Compelling Interviews for Civic Engagement, a civics inquiry unit to help students develop informed, diverse perspectives on social issues they care about.

 

FAA Airport Design Challenge

The Airport Design Challenge is an interactive learning collaboration opportunity for K–12 students. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Aviation & Space Education (STEM AVSED) Program organizes and sponsors this challenge.

 

AI-Powered Tools to Streamline Teachers’ Work

Harnessing the power of AI can assist in simplifying and speeding up certain administrative tasks, allowing teachers to concentrate on delivering exceptional educational experiences. TeachMateAi is a collection of AI-powered tools designed to create custom teaching resources and streamline various aspects of a teacher’s work.

 

Coalition of Organizations Addressing the Policy, Pedagogy, Pitfalls of AI

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) programs such as ChatGPT has led a coalition of organizations to form the TeachAI initiative. The group intends to create guidelines around K–12 AI policies, pedagogy, and ethics, as well as a framework for computer science instruction, which steer clear of AI’s potential pitfalls and address students’ privacy and online safety.

 


 

View the whole Big Book Deal Newsletter for June 15, 2023

The Archives

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Filed Under: Big Deal Media, Blog, VSTE News, VSTE Partners Tagged With: Big Deal Book

Common Sense Education Resource Share – May 3, 2023

June 14, 2023 by Patrick Hausammann

An image of students working on laptops in a classroom. A Common Sense Education text overlay appears in the top right of the graphic."Common Sense is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to helping all kids thrive in a world of media and technology. They support pre-K–12 schools with lesson plans, edtech reviews, family resources, and everything else students need to thrive in a connected world." Below is a custom set of resources pulled from this month's newest updates! Check them out via the links and explore even more at www.commonsense.org/education. VSTE is proud to partner with Common Sense Education.


For Teachers:

  • 5 Questions Students Should Ask About Media
  • Media Literacy Resources for Classrooms
  • Classroom Strategies for SEL
  • Curated Lists of Apps, Sites, etc. sortable by subject, grade, and more!
  • Professional Development Opportunities!

For Parents & Caregivers:

  • Best App Lists
  • Digital Citizenship Resources
  • Family Tech Planners

 


All Resources via Common Sense Education

All VSTE Posts of Common Sense Education Resources

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Filed Under: Blog, VSTE News, VSTE Partners Tagged With: Common Sense Education

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