#BRESA Tech Tips
December 2022
Tech the Halls
Welcome to December! It has been a busy first half of the school year in the Berrien RESA Technology Services department. John and Amy are thankful for the opportunities we have had to work alongside many of you this fall. Visit this slide deck to see some of the activities we participated in or helped facilitate. What can we do for you yet this month or in 2023? Please reach out to John or Amy anytime. We wish you all a festive holiday season and restful break.
Celebrate Computer Science during CS Ed Week 2022
As mentioned in last month's newsletter, the annual Hour of Code is happening this month in conjunction with Computer Science (CS) in Education Week. The official dates are December 5-11, but activities can be completed anytime. Check out the links below to see how you can promote CS in your classroom and school. Reach out to John or Amy if you would like to schedule one of us to come and do an activity with you. We have lessons for all ages and time slots, and would love to share them with you and your students.
Congratulations to our Fall 2022 Champions!
Over 160 high school students congregated at Lake Michigan College on November 19 to vie for gaming glory. Over $10,000 in scholarship money was awarded to students participating in the event. Congratulations go out to Hartford High School for winning the Valorant tournament and Buchanan High School for winning the Rocket League title.
Plan ahead for your school to join us for the Spring 2023 season! Email esports@berrienresa.org if you are interested in participating.
Michigan DNR
Winter is an excellent time to take your class on a Virtual Field Trip. Check out the awesome lessons and experiences available from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Check out the Nature at School programs and schedule a FREE 30-minute live, interactive experience with a DNR educator. Lessons are aligned to standards and include pre and post trip activities.
CocoMaterial
CocoMaterial is an open-source, customizable image library with over 2000 hand-drawn illustrations. Users can search by key word or popular tags to find just the right image for a project. Once chosen, the image can be customized using the online editor and then downloaded. Learn more in this short video made by Richard Byrne, founder of Free Technology for Teachers.
TeachFlix
TeachFlix is a new service being put together by Matt Miller and the Ditch that Textbook crew. Crowdsourced by educators, YouTube videos are curated into an easy to search repository. Go explore it today! You will appreciate the breakdown by level (elementary, middle, high school) as well as a variety of content, including virtual field trips and read-alouds.
Holidays Around the World
Virtual rooms are a fun way for students to explore resources around various themed topics. Similar to the Bitmoji classrooms that were all the rage during remote learning, virtual rooms leverage the power of Google Slides to create interactive experiences for students. Check out Holidays Around the World, created by Sarah Wood a colleague of ours from Kent ISD/REMC 8. Sarah is also the author of MyEdTechWorld. Check out her awesome resources and tech tips.
You may also want to consider signing up for the Kent ISD EdTech Cheer 2022, which provides participants with twelve days of asynchronous EdTech learning and the opportunity to earn SCECHs for your participation. Have fun exploring!
Looking for something fun and creative to make for the holidays? Visit the Lake Michigan College Fab Lab. Want to learn more about maker space tools? The LMC Fab Lab offers access to laser cutters, 3D printers, embroidery machines, the Adobe Creative Suite and much more!
Visit the lab during open hours or register for a December workshop. There are many to choose from, including Maker Mondays with Ornament Trees and Last Minute Gift Ideas. Visit their events page to learn more and register.
Registration is now open for the 2023 MACUL Conference to be held on March 16th & 17th at Huntington Place in Detroit. Visit maculconference.org for more information, including pre-conference workshops and a virtual track option.
Do you know an innovative teacher, leader, district or technology professional? Nominations for the 2023 MACUL Awards will be accepted until January 10th.
Call all EdTech Leaders! The application to join MACUL Leadership is open until January 9th. Please reach out to Amy if you have any questions.
REMC has partnered with the Modern Classroom Project and created a unique opportunity for Michigan educators. If you are interested in increasing your ability to implement efficient and effective blended learning in your classroom, visit the Student-Centered Learning Across Michigan (SLAM) Project page and consider joining a future cohort.
STEM PD Opportunity for Teachers of Algebra
On January 18, come play, learn, and take back 5 CCSS aligned activities that you can use with your Algebra 1 students (or review for Algebra 2 students) to engage and encourage critical thinking and discourse in the secondary mathematics classroom. These activities incorporate items from the BRESA Stem Resources, as well as other hands-on materials to help students engage with Algebra content.
Participants will complete the 5 performance tasks themselves while working collaboratively. Topics include Systems of Equations, Linear Regression, Quadratic Equations, Families of Functions and Exponential Functions. Reflection time and an opportunity to personalize the activities to fit individual needs will be also be provided.
Participants will receive lunch, earn 6 SCECH credits and leave with practical activities to engage students in the Algebra 1 content. Click here to register for this FREE event.
The Technology Services Department at Berrien RESA has a variety of STEM resources, equipment and materials you can check out for use in your classroom.
Visit our REMC Resource Webpage to learn more about the items that are available. To check out a resource, please complete the resource checkout form.
December ideas for STEM integration:
- Interactive Greeting Cards
- 3D Snowman Printing
- Holiday Themed Breakout EDU
- Micro:Bit Holiday Trees
- Hour of Code Activities
We have lesson plans to share if you aren't sure where to begin. We would love to come and help you do an activity with your students or staff. Email John or Amy to set up a time.
How can we help?
We would love to hear your suggestions on how we can best support you. Please complete this form if you have some ideas regarding content you would like to see in our newsletter or specific needs in your district. Also, please feel free to share this newsletter with others and if you are interested in subscribing, simply email info@berrienresa.org with the subject line "Tech Tips". Finally, as always, feel free to contact John Phillips or Amy Dirlam directly for all of your educational technology needs.
The Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation or sexual identity), disability, age, religion, height, weight, marital or family status, military status, ancestry, genetic information, or any other legally protected category, (collectively, "Protected Classes"), in its programs and activities, including employment opportunities.