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TF Update 7/10/2016
Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers®

For Your Classroom

We had a wonderful time at ISTE 2016 in Denver. Welcome to all of our new members that we met at our booth or throughout the conference! This week kicks off TeachersFirst’s summer PD opportunities. If you are new to TeachersFirst, join us for our Great Ideas online workshop on Wednesday July 13th to learn more about TeachersFirst. We look forward to joining you on your journey through technology.

 

Final Week to Enter the BYOT Lesson Plan Contest
If you have been thinking about entering our BYOT lesson plan contest, but were waiting until you have time... the time is now! The official deadline is July 15th. If you haven’t already learned about this fabulous opportunity, take some time today to learn more. The top 3 winners will receive a $100 Amazon gift card. Click here to learn more. There is no need to take the time to create a brand new lesson. Why not take one of your past favorite lessons and add some BYOT elements to the lesson. Find possible tools to include at TeachersFirst’s BYOD Dream Tools. All of the tools shared on that page will work on any device and are a perfect addition to your BYOT lesson plan.

 

SFK K-12 Advisory Council
Nominate yourself today for the SFL K-12 Advisory Council. We are accepting applications now. All applicants must be TeachersFirst Members. Learn more here.


Professional Development

FREE Summer PD

Registration is now open for ALL summer 2016 virtual OK2Ask workshops. Read our FAQ for general information about certificates, etc. Please be sure to read the detailed descriptions and suggested technology comfort levels BEFORE you register. Sign up here to be added to the OK2Ask Email list. Learn about all of the new PD sessions and opportunities!

Here is what is coming up:

Tuesday July 12, 6:00 - 7:30pm Eastern - Summer 2016 Book Club Introduction (for Book Club Participants ONLY)

Wednesday July 13, 6:00 - 7:30pm Eastern - Great Ideas for Developing Technology Infused Lessons

Thursday July 14, 6:00 - 7:30pm Eastern - Cool Tools: Tools for Formative Assessment

Tuesday July 19, 6:00 - 7:30pm Eastern - Go to the Edge: Tour of TeachersFirst Edge Tools

Wednesday July 20, 6:00 - 7:30pm Eastern - Make the Most of Your TeachersFirst Membership

 

GoogleMANIA - Thursday July 21
We are SO excited about GoogleMania, coming up next week. Mark your calendars NOW for this excellent PD opportunity. Throughout the day we will offer nine Google-Tastic Topics, each presented in less than one hour. Learn more here.

 

TF Twitter Chat - Wednesday July 20th 8pm EDT
Don’t miss our upcoming Twitter Chat. The topic will be Start a School Makerspace from Scratch. Sign up NOW to be placed on the email list for Twitter Chat announcements and reminders.


TeachersFirst Exclusives

Teams and Teamwork
The July theme from TogetheRead is “Teams and Teamwork!” TogetheRead provides a list of recommended books, questions, and activities designed to build stronger readers. The themes include books for all ages, centered around the same theme. Parents find questions to ask as the family reads, deepening comprehension before, during, and after reading. Included are free and low-cost ideas for activities families can do together, as well. TogetheRead involves the entire family in supporting literacy.

 

Mentor or New Teacher?
Are you a new teacher starting your first teaching job in the fall? Will you be working with a student teacher or mentoring a new teacher? Don’t miss TeachersFirst’s ideas and help for newbie teachers, their cooperating teachers, and mentors. Click the Share widget to pass it on!

 

What is Next - On the Calendar
Summer is the perfect time to check out the TeachersFirst Classroom Planning Calendar. Scout ahead for events and resources to include in your plans for next year.

 

Is Technology included in your School's PD?
Some districts incorporate technology throughout all of their PD. While other districts provide separate PD specifically about technology. What does your school do? This week’s Teacher Poll asks: How is technology included in your district or school's PD? Place your vote on the teacher poll on the TeachersFirst home page.


TeachersFirst Features

In honor of GoogleMania, this week’s Featured Sites are all tools that either were created by Google or use Google!

  • Google Photos
  • Pompeii Virtual Tour
  • Pear Deck
  • Build with Chrome
  • Calendly
  • And more

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are reading this July 24th, or later, the link above will take you to the Featured Sites for the current week. Find the archived July 10th Features here, and don’t miss our many other recent additions from the link at the bottom of the Featured Sites page.

 

Gear up and get ready for several weeks of awesome PD! We hope to “see” you at an OK2Ask web workshop, Googlemania, and/or a Twitter Chat. Explore and discover what PD works for you. We are here to help you navigate the waters of technology.

Melissa Henning
Educational Content Manager
TeachersFirst/Source For Learning