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Teaching & Learning
Winter 2024
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Teaching & Learning Newsletter
Welcome to the 2nd edition of the C&I Newsletter for the 23-24 school year. Below please find tips & tricks, suggested resources, and general news.
Inside this Issue...🍎
- Prize Winners
- Team Updates
- Fluency Matters!
- PD Mini-Sessions
- Today's Tech Tip
- TeachFlix Video Resources
- Build Connections: The First Five
- Guide to Race and Ethnicity Terms
- MLK Curriculum Resources
- Worth a Listen - Check out these Podcasts
Prize Winners
The Newsletter winners are...
- Christine McKernan (Skippack)
- Lauren Piccione (Middle School West)
- Stacey Petschelt (Evergreen)
- Karen Gehman (PV High School)
Congratulations! Look for prizes coming your way! Keep looking for prize links throughout the newsletter this month!
Team Updates
- Assistant Superintendent (Interim) - Dr. Curt Dietrich
- Humanities Supervisor - Info Coming Soon!
- Instructional Coach (Literacy Focus) - Mrs. Chris Squeri
- Instructional Coach (STEM Focus) - Mrs. Kathryn Markloff (start date: 1/17/24)
Fluency Matters!
Fluency Routines
These routines can be modified for your grade level. Ask me how!
Let's Connect! Want to try one or more of these routines out together? Contact Chris Squeri (csqueri@pvsd.org). She can model some of the routines or co-teach them together with you.
PD Mini Session: AI- AI-Oh
What is all the hubbub about AI?? Join Dr. Tara Parr & Mrs. Kristi Lainhart for a mini PD session (scheduled in each building) to learn more.
- Evergreen Elementary - January 24 (8:00am)
- Schwenksville Elementary - January 11 (8:00am)
- Skippack Elementary - January 17 (8:00am)
- South Elementary - January 16 (8:00am)
- Middle School East - January 9 (2:40pm)
- Middle School West- January 16 (2:40pm)
- PV High School - January 11 (2:40pm)
Stay tuned for more information on PD mini sessions offered throughout the year from the C&I Dept.
Today's Tech Tip: "Revealing" Content
Old Tool, New Tool
Methods to “reveal” content we’re presenting to students has taken many forms over the years. From covering our old transparencies with a piece of paper to now using tech tools to show content when we want. Several teachers have asked recently about an option for this when presenting using our current tech tools. Here are a few different ways to make that happen.
Using the Spotlight Tool from the Quick Access toolbar on the Clear Touch panel (the arrows on the side). Check out this video for details on using this tool. This option will work over anything that’s on the screen. There is now also the option for a circle or rectangle shape for the reveal area that you can choose in the settings.
Using the Chorus whiteboard tool on the Clear Touch: With the whiteboard tool open, go to the toolbar at the bottom and then hit the arrow to get to more tools. One of them is a Hide/Reveal tool, which basically puts a big box over the whole screen and you can drag it around.
This option does only work within the Chorus whiteboard. You can bring in an image to reveal or if you use the Snowflake “advanced” version of the whiteboard by opening Snowflake from the desktop of the panel, you can do this with a document.
Using Google Slides: You can set any image as the background and then use a filled in shape to block the part you don't want them to see. Since it's a background, you don't accidentally drag the item you're revealing. You can't go into slideshow mode if you do this, but you can hide the slides toolbar (and other parts of the screen) to give you more of that fullscreen effect.
If you want to use presentation mode, follow the advice in this blog post to see a different approach to doing this with Google Slides!
And, ClassTools.net has a cool tool for an image reveal activity that might be fun to try!
If you have a favorite way to do this that you’re willing to share or if you need any additional info on these suggestions, please reach out to Kristi (klainhart@pvsd.org).
Click here to enter for a prize!
Teaching with TeachFlix
Looking for an interesting video to engage your students in an upcoming topic? Teachflix is a curated collection of videos selected by educators. You can search by level or by subject. And, if you have videos you love to use, you can suggest adding them to the database.
Build Connections: The First Five
The First Five is a way to find already created content like this quote and/or activities to use with your classes to help build connections and community. You’ll get new content every morning that you can use right away in “the first five” minutes of class! Sign up today, choose the level you want to receive, and get your first email tomorrow! Going forward, each day you’ll get to choose from a selection of different ideas.
A Guide to Race and Ethnicity Terms
In Perkiomen Valley, we believe that word choice is integral to effective, respectful communication. To engage in further conversation about these topics, join Keya (kchampagne-lee@pvsd.org) at an upcoming Coffee/Cocoa Conversation session. Visit the links below for details and dates.
MLK Curriculum Resources
On Monday, January 15, 2024, we honor the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. The National Education Association provides resources, activities, and lesson ideas for K-12 educators. Click here to access these resources.
Worth a Listen 🎧
The Backwards Podcast
#9 How to Combat Student Apathy (in Three Steps)
Cult of Pedagogy Podcast
#218- How to Help Students without Being a Savior
Making Math Moments that Matter
Podcast #266- The Pathway to Higher Achievement: A Conversation with Mike Lipnos
Click here to enter for a prize!