Teacher Resources

Hour of Code and Computer Science Education Week, 2018

December 2018

Computer Science Education Week is December 3-9, 2018. Many schools, educators, and students participate in an Hour of Code during Computer Science Education Week.

If you host a coding activity please share it with us! You can leave a comment below or share pictures via social media including Twitter or Instagram, using the hashtags #gsdedtech and #HourOfCode. We will collect all the shared social media posts in this Wakelet collection.

Read on for more information and links to resources and activities for Hour of Code and Computer Science Education Week. [Read more…] about Hour of Code and Computer Science Education Week, 2018

Now Registering: Projects & Learning Approaches to Makerspaces

October 2018

Our Makerspaces face-to-face professional development series continues on October 23, 2018, from 4:30-7:30 p.m.

Topic: Projects & Learning Approaches to Makerspaces
Theme: 3D Design & Printing

There are still openings available in this free class, so register today!

Read on for more information about our Makerspaces classes. [Read more…] about Now Registering: Projects & Learning Approaches to Makerspaces

Featured Resource: Sora, the New Reading App from OverDrive

September 2018

Sora is a new reading and listening app from OverDrive and Granite School District. With Sora, students and staff can access a large collection of ebooks and audiobooks for independent, recreational, or teacher-assigned reading. Students can read or listen to these books using a Chromebook, desktop computer, or personal mobile device.

GSD Ed Tech Tuesdays 2018-2019

August 2018

Educational Technology Professional Development for Granite School District Teachers

The Granite School District Educational Technology Department is pleased to invite Granite educators to our Tech Tuesday Professional Development Courses. [Read more…] about GSD Ed Tech Tuesdays 2018-2019

TIP Cards Revised and Expanded for 2018-2019

August 2018

Coming in September 2018, all teachers in Granite School District will receive an updated and expanded set of Technology Integration Progress (TIP) Cards!

You can download a digital preview of the card sets here:

2018-2019 TIP Cards (Full Teacher Version – Requires staff login to download)
2018-2019 TIP Cards (Public Version)

These cards provide teachers with a handy collection of quick help guides for a range of classroom technology tools and digital resources, as well as tips and ideas for new ways of using these tools and resources with students. Short URLs on the cards link teachers to a full menu of tutorials and other resources. TIP Cards comprise just one aspect of the Technology Integration Progress framework, an initiative of Granite’s Educational Technology Department. Read on to learn more about the TIP program. [Read more…] about TIP Cards Revised and Expanded for 2018-2019

Presentation: Technology Integration Progress Initiative

July 2018

Chris Larsen, Director of Educational Technology, and Jenny Peirce, Educational Technology Specialist Team Leader, recently presented at the 2018 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference held in Chicago, sharing our department’s Technology Integration Progress initiative.

Click here to view the slideshow from their presentation or read below for details about the initiative and links to additional resources. [Read more…] about Presentation: Technology Integration Progress Initiative

Presentation: Teaching with Picture Books in Secondary Schools

May 2018

For some, the reading of picture books is considered an activity exclusively meant for young children in lower grades. In a recent professional development session for Library Media Educational Technology Specialists in secondary schools, Celia Powell, Cindy Moyle, and Cherie Anderson gave a multitude of reasons to rethink this bias, showing how picture books can be used in junior high and high school classrooms (and even with adults) to engage students and support curriculum in virtually all content areas. [Read more…] about Presentation: Teaching with Picture Books in Secondary Schools

Battle of the Books 2018-2019 Book Lists and Informational Meeting

May 2018

We are excited to officially publish the Battle of the Books 2018-2019 Book Lists!

2018-2019 Granite Battle of the Books 3rd-4th Grade Book List

2018-2019 Granite Battle of the Books 3rd-4th Grade Book List (High Quality PDF for Printing)

Read or listen to these books in Granite’s OverDrive Digital Library

2018-2019 Granite Battle of the Books 5th-6th Grade Book List

2018-2019 Granite Battle of the Books 5th-6th Grade Book List (High Quality PDF for Printing)

Read or Listen to these books in Granite’s OverDrive Digital Library

Upcoming Event: 2018-2019 Informational Meeting

If you are interested in participating in Battle of the Books in the 2018-2019 school year as a school administrator, teacher, media clerk, or PTA member, you are invited to attend this informational meeting. You will be provided with an overview of the program and learn the basics of the competition.

Battle of the Books
2018-2019 Informational Meeting
Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Time: 4:00 PM-4:30 PM
Location: Granite Education Center
Administration Building (2-Story), Auditorium C
2500 South State Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84115

You can view some highlights from our 2018 district competition in this recent blog post: Highlights from Granite’s Battle of the Books 2018 Competition. You can find more resources and information about administering the program by visiting botb.edtech.fun. If you have additional questions, please contact Nikki Gregerson, District Library Media Specialist for Elementary Schools.

Teacher Spotlight: Olympus High Teacher Transforming Music Class With Technology

May 2018

An innovative Olympus High School Music-Instrumental Teacher, Tim McMurray, seized the opportunity to apply for a secondary schools technology grant offered by the Educational Technology Department during the 2017-18 school year. He knew some classroom practices could be transformed using technology, allowing students to learn in a way not previously possible without it. [Read more…] about Teacher Spotlight: Olympus High Teacher Transforming Music Class With Technology

What’s New in YA OverDrive — March 2018

March 2018

These posters feature some of the latest YA titles that have been added to OverDrive for secondary schools. Click on the images to download a high-quality PDF file that can be printed for display in your a library or classroom. Right click and choose “Save image as…” to save the image for posting on a school or classroom web site.

(Granite’s OverDrive provides free access to ebooks and digital audiobooks for all students and staff in Granite School District. Granite’s OverDrive can be accessed on the web at http://granite.lib.overdrive.com or via OverDrive apps designed for various mobile devices. For more information or help getting started with OverDrive, visit https://www.graniteschools.org/edtech/overdrive.)

OverDrive posters designed by Cindy Moyle, Secondary Library Media Supervisor, Educational Technology Dept.