Summer Learning... Rekindling my enthusiasm for learning and teaching...

At the end of June, everyone was so tired.  At our school, the staff were exhausted and ready for the summer break.  June was not a time to be thinking about best practices and tech integration.

Just a couple weeks later, I am back on track... I am, once again, enthused about teaching and learning.  I have taken a few days to investigate tools/strategies that I had previously placed on my back burner.

Here are a few things I am exploring/discovering...

Planboardapp.com

...an invaluable lesson planning tool
...plan day by day for each course
...attach current curriculum expectations with ease for every lesson as necessary
...create templates to be used in each course
...can publish and share as well as search for others' lessons
...can print pdfs - would be great for those covering your classes during absences

...

Desire2Learn Binder app

With the growing emphasis on tech integration, blended learning and the availability of Desire2Learn LMS, I was so excited to find the D2L Binder app. Students will be able to save files from d2l course into their "Binder".  Once in the app, students will have options to annotate the documents for own use/learning.

CK12.org

I have had the privilege of being chosen to be part of a team that is creating a CK-12 "flexbook" to be used in our district for our grade nine math students. This site has a multitude of ready-resources.  And even better than that, each resource that can be added to your "flexbook" can be customized to your preferences.

This digital text capability has so much promise because interactive and video components can be embedded.

I envision combining these tools to create a (somewhat) paperless math class in the fall.  Students will access course materials in D2L including the course text designed at ck12.org.  They can add these materials to their "Binder" and then review and practice in the Binder app environment.

Summer is a great time to follow up on ideas/strategies.  I am so excited about teaching all over again.