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Less Physics Mo Problems

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Why am I writing this personal entry? Well, it is not an attempt to gain any sympathy. It attempts to show what is possible if a clear intention and goal serve the learner's needs.  In May of 2022 just near the end of another fantastic school year, I do not remember what happened. But, I was unable to finish the school year and was unable to teach the following year.  Why? On May 21st, 2022, I fell down a flight of 16 stairs (luckily carpeted) from the 2nd to 1st story of our home.  I was found at the bottom of the stairs. I was found foaming at the mouth. This would lead to a 2-month hospital stay which included an induced coma because my seizures would not stop, several rounds of lumbar punctures, and relearning basic physical movements like something as simple as being able to roll in the hospital bed. Simply put, when I was admitted to the hospital, I was diagnosed as being “critically ill.” Please take a moment and read those words: critically ill. They are not terms...
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SLATE Day 2: A GAFE Summit in 60 Minutes

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The second day of SLATE is only half a day.  We had a great closing session with Dr. James Rickabaugh. I feel like I’ve discussed his book in a few previous posts including a wonderful Video Q & A with him. This video quality isn't great but the quality of the information is.

I attended a session by Rita Mortenson that blew me away.  Rita is the Educational Technology Coordinator for Verona Area High School. Her session was titled Google Tips and Tricks to Know Before Your Students Do.  It was filled with so much stuff I did not know that I am excited to bring to my classroom.  The presentation is below.  I’d love to run through some of my highlights.



Savefrom.net:  This extension allows users to download videos from YouTube.  It is currently blocked by my district.  I hope we can change that soon. If you are interested, you can get the extension here: http://en.savefrom.net/user.php?vid=387#download

Drive Template Gallery: Move you and your students beyond the basic templates with this app.

Lucidpress for Education: Lucidpress has free accounts for education both educators and students. Just a fantastic suite of templates for building powerful digital documents.

Slides Carnival: Have your learners go beyond the overused templates found in Google Slides. Templates should not be tired.  Sometimes I feel that way whenever I open up a student created slideshow.  I look forward to bringing this new resource to bear and require students be more intentional in their design choices.

Chrome Music Labs: I don’t want to tell you too much, because I’m going to be introducing my students to this next week now that I’ve discovered it.

For Math Teachers: Apps, extensions and add-ons.  These were curated by Eric Curts and his blog Control Alt. From elementary to AP level, there’s something for everyone.

Honestly, there is so much here that you could go through the slides and have your personal GAFE Summit.  Save it for a over the winter break where you can’t get outside and dig deep into the presentation.



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