Professional Development

Now Registering: Integrating Digital Citizenship and Digital Literacy Skills (Ed Tech Tuesdays Pick Five Series)

November 2019

The next sessions of our GSD Ed Tech Tuesdays professional development series start up right after Thanksgiving Break. Join us at the GEC on December 3, 2019 or at the TLC on December 17, 2019 to explore digital citizenship and digital literacy skills.

In the last couple of years, there has been a shift in focus for how we teach our students about digital citizenship. We will take a look at this shift, discuss why it’s more important than ever to teach and promote digital citizenship and digital literacy in our classrooms, and take a look at some curriculum and methods for teaching digital citizenship and literacy.

Click here to sign up to attend this or other future GSD Ed Tech Tuesday ‘Pick Five’ Sessions.

Now Accepting Applications: 2020 Library Media Endorsement Program

November 2019

Granite has partnered with Salt Lake City and Davis Districts to provide a Library Media Endorsement program for interested teachers. To become a Library Media Educational Technology Specialist (LMETS) teachers must have either a Master’s in Library Science or a Library Media endorsement.

The program is designed for a cohort of 30 teachers with 10 teachers from Granite School District. The program will take up to 18 months of graduate-level work to complete. Credit will be granted through Valley City State University out of North Dakota. Classes in the endorsement program will be taught at schools determined by the district sponsoring the course. The cost is $50 per credit ($150 per course.)

Interested teachers can apply by sending a completed Application and Commitment Form to Cindy Moyle, Secondary Library Supervisor, by November 22, 2019. Please contact Cindy Moyle with any questions.

Now Registering: Code.org Training, November 13 and 20, 2019

November 2019

Do you want a fantastic activity that is mostly self-directed, teaches reasoning, critical thinking and persistence, as well as fundamental Computer Science concepts for your students in small group rotations?

Come to the code.org training on Nov. 13th and 20th from 4:30-7:30 for a fun, fast-paced, easy training with resources, and even swag. You’ll leave with your students all set up in the code.org site, a teacher’s manual, and some cool swag.

Now Registering: Makerspace Program Planning & Management (Ed Tech Tuesdays Makerspaces Series)

November 2019

Would you like to learn how to start or improve your classroom or school makerspace or even just learn more about what makerspaces are? Our GSD Ed Tech Tuesdays professional development series for teachers includes a Makerspaces Course, with classes held on the second Tuesday of most months in the 2019-2020 school year. In this course, you will learn:

what makerspaces are and why you should use them,
practical ways to start or improve your classroom or school makerspace,
tools and activities that you might consider including in a makerspace.

Each month, we’ll cover an aspect of implementing a makerspace and spend time doing activities and using tools related to a specific theme you might include in your makerspace. You’re welcome to attend one or all of the classes!

Join us on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 for the third session of our Makerspaces course, with the topic “Makerspace Program Planning & Management” and the theme of Electronics & Circuits. This class will be held at the Educational Technology Satellite Lab at Jackling Elementary from 4:30-7:30 PM.

Click here to sign up for this and other Makerspaces sessions.

Now Registering: Strategies for Developing Computational Thinking Skills (Ed Tech Tuesdays Pick Five Series)

October 2019

Our GSD Ed Tech Tuesdays professional development sessions for teachers continue in November 2019. Join us at the GEC on November 5, 2019 or at the TLC on November 19, 2019 to explore strategies for developing computational thinking skills.

In the digital age, computational thinking skills are necessary for educators and students alike. In this session we will look at ways to promote and develop computational thinking skills throughout the curriculum.

Click here to sign up to attend this or other future GSD Ed Tech Tuesday ‘Pick Five’ Sessions.

Now Registering: Projects and Learning Approaches to Makerspaces (Ed Tech Tuesdays Makerspaces Series)

September 2019

what makerspaces are and why you should use them,
practical ways to start or improve your classroom or school makerspace,
tools and activities that you might consider including in a makerspace.

Each week, we’ll cover an aspect of implementing a makerspace and spend time doing activities and using tools related to a specific theme you might include in your makerspace. You’re welcome to attend one or all of the classes!

Join us on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 for the second session of our Makerspaces course, with the topic “Projects & Learning Approaches to Makerspaces” and the theme of 3D Design & Printing. This class will be held at the Educational Technology Satellite Lab at Jackling Elementary from 4:30-7:30 PM.

Click here to sign up for this and other Makerspaces sessions.

Now Registering: Utah’s Online Library and Sora (Ed Tech Tuesdays Pick Five Series)

September 2019

Our GSD Ed Tech Tuesdays professional development sessions for teachers continue in October 2019. Join us at the GEC on October 1, 2019 or at the TLC on October 15, 2019 to dig into two incredible digital libraries available to Granite students and teachers.

Utah’s Online Library is one of the best but most underutilized resources available to Utah teachers. We’ll explore many of the incredible resources for research and lesson design available in UOL.

If your or your students are looking for eBooks, our collection in Sora has many titles available. We’ll show you how to make the most of Sora.

Click here to sign up to attend this or other future GSD Ed Tech Tuesday ‘Pick Five’ Sessions.

Now Registering: Getting the Year Started with Google (Ed Tech Tuesdays Pick Five Series)

September 2019

Our GSD Ed Tech Tuesdays professional development sessions for teachers have already started up for the 2019-2020 school year, but we still have one session to go in September. Join us at the TLC on September 17, 2019 to learn the basics (and a few more advanced tips and tricks) of using Google Classroom and G-suite to enhance collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking with your students.

Click here to sign up to attend this or other future GSD Ed Tech Tuesday ‘Pick Five’ Sessions.

Library Spotlight: Student-led Maker Space at Jefferson Jr. High

May 2019

Michelle Reed, Library Media Educational Technology Specialist, and students at Jefferson Jr. High were featured in the most recent episode of UEN’s PDTV video series. Watch below to find out how the library makerspace at Jefferson Jr. High works and see the students in action.

Lesson Design Idea: Tic-Tac-Toe Hyperdoc Template

April 2019

Post and template created by Sarah Wright, School Technology Specialist, Calvin Smith Elementary and Westbrook Elementary

Sometimes combining best teaching practices and technology is daunting; it can be hard to know where to start. When one of my teachers asked for a simple template to follow, I created this flexible hyperdoc in Google Drawings that can be adapted for any content. The template follows the structure of building for depth: it gives teachers ideas of tools and activities that will help to introduce and reinforce content, as well as tasks for students to apply new knowledge. With a focus on blended learning principles the template includes “tech-free” options as well as digital tools. [Read more…] about Lesson Design Idea: Tic-Tac-Toe Hyperdoc Template