Twitter for Educators

Twitter is one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, but why is that important for educators?  Building a solid network of professionals can be a huge benefit to your teaching practices, and Twitter can also be used by your students to share their learning with an authentic global audience.  This session was devoted to setting up a Twitter account, discussing how to use Twitter for professional development, and sharing ideas about how to use Twitter with your students.  

Creation Apps to Use with Seesaw

Seesaw is great for documenting learning, but how can you use it other than just pictures and videos?  We will look at a handful of apps that allow students to use their creativity to show their learning in different ways.  These apps are all kid and teacher friendly and allow students to easily put their projects into Seesaw.

Chromebook Troubleshooting

As we begin to look ahead to year two of Orono PLUS, all students in grades 3-5 will have access to their own Chromebook.  While students can be very tech savvy and solve a lot of issues on their own, or by asking a classmate, there is still a need for teachers to know some general troubleshooting steps.  The presentation below is an interactive troubleshooting guide.   If you are looking for something not in this presentation please let me know, and I will add that topic.

By clicking on the topic in the table of contents you will get step by step instructions on how to solve the problem.  As always, please feel free to reach out to the tech staff or put in a SchoolDude request if you are unsure or have questions.

Xtra Math and Sum Dog

If you are looking for a way have your students practice their math facts online both of these programs have something to offer. Since Fast Math only works in the labs, both of these program are alternatives to help students build a solid foundation in computation skills.


These programs both offer different benefits for student and teachers, so it will be important to consider the pros and cons of each before deciding on what is best for your students. I have only used the free versions of both of these, so please note that the paid versions might be more powerful and meet your needs in different ways.

Access to ebooks

With all the technology both here at school and at home, many of our students are using ebooks for their independent reading.  Students can access ebooks through Hennepin County Library.  Here are directions for families to access ebooks through the library.

*Please note this is something that needs to be set up AT HOME and not at school.

Epic! Books for Kids

Epic! is an extensive online library of ebooks for students.  It has been described as Netflix for reading.  There are lots of high quality ebooks and audiobooks that students can search for and customize their reading list.  Educators can get a free account to use with students.

Graphic Organizers

We often use graphic organizers with students to help them organize their thoughts.  As we move a lot of our resources to Google Drive and other digital formats, teachers are recreating these graphic organizers or searching for one to fit their needs.  Eric Curts, a trainer, consultant and Google Certified Innovator, created these graphic organizer templates that can be used in a variety of content areas.   They are especially easy to give to students to fill out digitally if you are using Google Classroom.

To use the organizers:
-Open the link
-Click on the blue button in the top right hand corner that says "Add to Drive"
-Open the organizer you want to use
-The documents are all set to "View Only" so before you can use them, you will need to make a copy.

Thanks to Christine Gagnon for finding this resource!