Presentations

I love presenting at conferences, classes, and trainings. I would be happy to come and present at your event. Below you will find a list of a couple of the presentations I have previously shared.


Current Sessions:


6 Technology Tools Every Teacher Should Be Using


Whether you are a techie teacher or a techno-novice, there are a number of online tools available to help you increase your productivity and perfect your computer skills.


This session will cover five main technology areas: storage solutions, password management, bookmarking, information gathering and information sharing. Each of the five areas include multiple options to help allow for both flexibility of choice and availability of assortment.


The different areas contain multiple tools, including; online flash drives, applications to help you remember your different passwords, the ability to save your Internet bookmarks to multiple web browsers and computers, sharing your bookmarks with others, RSS feeds, blogs, wikis, Twitter, and URL shorteners.


Each of the areas contain both free and paid versions of tools allowing everyone the opportunity to use the products regardless of funding and finances.  


Connecting Globally and Locally


We live in a day where teaching is no longer limited to the four physical walls of your classroom, or even your school building. We can connect with people across the globe and increase the chances of our students becoming global citizens. How can we make sure we are connecting safely as well as teaching our students to do the same? Do we have to always think globally or are there resources that are available more locally as well? We need to make sure and take the time and effort to both reach out to the world as well as nurture the face to face connections we have available to us in our own backyards.


Reimagine learning with the Classroom Trifecta of ClassDojo, Kahoot!, and GoNoodle


Do you want to help your class run smoother, more effective, and still have time to allow your students to get their wiggles out? If so, this is the session for you! We will be going over three great FREE tools to help you get your class in order for more success and more fun.


First is Class Dojo, a great tool to help your students (and their parents) track daily behaviors. Next is Kahoot!, an excellent way to get your students excited about review and formative assessment. Third is GoNoodle, a website that will allow you to give your students a needed movement break, even if Mother Nature isn't playing nice.


Come see how to keep learning while still getting great academic results!


Social Media in the Elementary Classroom


Social Media has become a mainstay in many of our lives and the lives of our students and their parents, yet how many of us think to put it to work for educational growth? This course will help you learn more about how social media can be used for more than just sharing funny pictures and personal stories. We need to find ways to reach out to our students and their parents where they are already actively involved online and use that location to help teach them about being good members of the online community. But social media isn’t just about teaching our students, but also about helping ourselves become better teachers. Some of the best FREE professional development around can be found online, if you know where and how to look for it. We will also discuss the importance of creating a Professional Learning Network (PLN) and how to get started in learning with other educators all around the world! Come learn and play using Social Media in the classroom.


Solving the Case of the Mystery Skype Classroom


Get ready to load up the Mystery Machine and put on your Sherlock detective hat because it's time to solve the case of the Mystery Skype Classroom!


Do you want to find ways to help your students learn more about other states or counties? How about connecting with different classrooms across the U.S. or world? How can you do all these things with a shrinking or non-existent field trip budget? Come find out and learn how Mystery Skype can help you make learning fun again!


Everything You Need to Know About Twitter Chats


Twitter has become a very popular tool for educators to use when trying to improve their teaching skills because it allows you to connect with other teachers all over the world. Getting involved with different Twitter chats is another way teachers can increase their knowledge and have fun learning. There are many weekly Twitter chats that focus on specific topics for teachers and helps them connect with one another so they can learn from teachers in their own state or subject area dealing with some of the same questions and issues they face.

As fun as and informative as these Twitter chats can be, they can also be downright difficult to figure out how to follow along AND add to the conversation. Come learn how to effectively participate in these chats by learning about different technology tools that can help this process along. We will cover a multitude of different tools that will make following along as well as contributing a snap!

Take a look at both free and paid versions of tools allowing everyone the opportunity to learn and grow with the many different Twitter chats available!


Bringing the FUN to Formative Assessments


The last thing many people think of when they hear the word “assessment” is fun, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Come learn how to more effectively assess your students in ways that help the assessment to still be fun and not just another boring test! We will discuss great tools like clickers (SRS devices), Plickers, Kahoot!, and maybe even a QR code or two!

Come learn how you can help your next Formative Assessment be more fun and engaging for your students!


Previous Sessions:


Coding for the Elementary Classroom


What is coding and why should I teach it to my elementary students? Coding is computer programming and a skill that is quickly becoming one of the most requested and useful skills of high school and college graduates. According to Code.org,  “One million of the best jobs in America may go unfilled because only 1 in 10 schools teach students how to code.” Many teachers think coding is too difficult to learn themselves and then even harder to teach to their elementary students, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Come learn how to teach your students the basics of analytical thinking that will help prepare students to learn to code. Steve Jobs once said, “Everybody in this country should learn to program a computer … because it teaches you how to think.” Come and become one of the teachers willing to help their students progress to the next level of academic skills needed for tomorrow.

Promethean Starter Tips


Are you new to the Promethean interactive whiteboard (IWB) system? Do you want to learn how to use it more effectively in your classroom? Are you interested in using a Student Response System (SRS) to assist you in teaching and assessments?


If you answered yes to any of the previous questions, this class is for you. This class is designed to help with the basic skills in using and understanding your Promethean IWB system. We will also look at using the ActivExpression SRS "clickers" to assess your students in both summative and formative use cases. Learn where and how to find pre-made "flipcharts" and assessments as well as how to create your own. The Promethean IWB and SRS systems are incredibly useful and this class will help you gain a better understanding of how to make them work for you and your teaching.

RSS in a Post-Google Reader World

Do you check multiple websites a day to keep up with the latest educational trends, music/movies news, funny comics, or just to check on family members' blogs? If you answered yes to any of the above, STOP right now! There is an easier way using RSS and having the websites tell you when they have any updates. With the recent closure of Google Reader there have been a number of newer and better RSS readers available. Come find out about some of the best both free and paid and find out how to put the Internet to work for you!


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