Diary of a Digital Learning Coach

Every educator has a "toolbox" of activities and strategies to use in a pinch. I don't always highlight tools because  it is not about the tools,  however, I've been working with a couple lately that I can't resist sharing.  A few weeks ago, I got to work with some educators that were designing some spiraled review stations for our learners.  It gave me the opportunity to dive deeper into a couple of tools that can be customized to highlight content and skills in a fun and gamified way. Deck.Toys   Learner using Deck.Toys before a quick CFA Deck.Toys allows educators to create digital pathways to help learners check for understanding of a variety of concepts. With a variety of activity modes as well as features like locks, these pathways provide the support learners may need while also adding some creative fun. Think choose your own adventure, but with content! You can pull content in from Quizlet or create your own content from scrat...

Hi friends! Are you having learners create thinking maps for processing their thinking?  Check out the template below made in Keynote by my teammate Kelly - open it on a Mac or iPad.  The template can be shared with learners to manipulate and create thinking maps using the Keynote app. Thinking Maps Keynote Template  Note: Open link on an iPad or Mac, tap download to view the file. Do you like this resource?  Check out An Apple a Week - each week, my team and I are highlighting some different Apple programs and how they can be used in the classroom.  I invite you to click on the Apple a Day link at the top of the blog to read OR listen to our accompanying podcast. Happy Learning!

Hi Readers! After being in Everyone Can Code training for the last few days, you could say I am in an Apple state of mind.  Last night, I came across a tweet from Apple in Education about a new lesson experience/template available at appleteacher.apple.com  Check out the video on the tweet to see the lesson in action:   https://twitter.com/AppleEDU/status/912804768057143296  Using Keynote in a project like this would be a great way to kick off Genius Hour, help learners get to know each other at the beginning of the year, or as a visual cue for learners to use during learner led conferences. It was so easy to try - all I did was login to appleteacher.apple.com, download the Keynote template and follow the instructions to customize the slide of my choice using shapes.  Can you guess what I am passionate about? Sometimes the best way to learn is to play and try it out so my challenge to you on this fun Friday is to create your own, tak...