Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Reflections: TCEA 2015

Reported by: Dawn Jahnke
Instructional Technology Specialist

Many things are learned at TCEA, so many at times you think your head might explode with the wealth of ideas shared. For those of you new to the acronym, TCEA refers to Texas Computer Education Association Convention. It is regularly held in Austin, TX in the first week of February, and this year was no different with information sharing! My favorite sessions were about Google Sheets, coding, and mobile device ideas. To keep this post short but deliberate I thought I would share a piece for each of those. 

 Coding lovers check out:
  • Code.org -- variety of introductory, fun activities to teach students computational thinking and coding basics. you can create teacher accounts
  • Code.org Flappy Bird -- create a Flappy Bird game using Code.org’s easy interface.
  • Scratch -- teaches coding principles by way of a kid-friendly, drag-and-drop interface.
  • Scratch Starter Kit -- variety of resources to help get started using Scratch in the classroom.
  • Scratch Rubric -- sample assessment rubric for student Scratch projects.

Google Sheets were used in many unique ways. By use of line colors and groupings a notebook was created. Why wasn’t this idea thought of sooner! An instant notebook with tabs for the teacher or student. Check out this template shared by Tammy Worcester: Class Notebook Template (http://tinyurl.com/tttcea9 for more ideas)

The last idea I would like to share is about using Class Dojo. Class Dojo is a motivational behavioral tracking site. The session used it to create teams to encourage that other 21st century skill known as competition! We were assigned to one of the teams pictured below(even though we worked in pairs on a device) We app smashed as we were monitored for completion, cooperation, and collaboration skills. Points were award in Class Dojo accordingly. It gave the activity another level of urgency.


So next February keep in mind TCEA. It is worth the go!!

It's BACK! Digital Learning Conference 2015


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Reported by: Phyllis Roberts & Danielle Haymes
Instructional Technology Specialists
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The Instructional Technology Department is pleased to announce the 2015 Inspiring Connections Digital Learning Conference on July 28 and 29, 2015.

The conference will give you the opportunity to network with other educators, share resources, ideas, and build skills. By attending multiple sessions throughout the day, participants can learn how to engage digital learners with Augmented Reality, Google in the Classroom, and Coding, to name a few. For additional information, including our featured speakers, check out our website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter


You will leave the conference with new ideas that will make your classroom come alive. Professional development credit will be awarded.

Are you willing to share your experiences with other educators and administrators who are looking for ways to enhance best practices? Please consider being a part of our conference by completing the Call for Presenters form.

We look forward to seeing you there in July!

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