Sphero the Classroom Hero

Robots in the classroom?

It’s not an episode of the Jetsons! It’s here in JeffCo! Sphero is rolling into our classrooms.

What is Sphero?

Sphero is an app enabled, programmable robot about the size of a baseball. This little robot might be small but it is mighty. Strong enough for you stand on, sturdy enough for you to drop...This little robot in a polycarbonate shell can even go underwater.

Sphero SPRK edition has a clear shell allowing students to see the sensors and electric motor - which can go up to 4.5 mph! Sphero connects to a Bluetooth enabled device like an iPad. Then, you can program the Sphero through an app to make it roll, spin, flip and change colors. Apps are available for iOS and Android...and there is even a beta Chromebook app.

Once in the app. students have the ability to build programs through simple drag and drop block coding. Not quite sure where to start? There are sample programs to help students (and teachers) explore. These built-in programs can be copied and personalized.

Why would I use it?

President Obama, in his 2013 Hour of Code kickoff speech, challenged Americans with

If we want America to stay on the cutting edge, we need young Americans like you to master the tools and technology that will change the way we do just about everything.

Everything is becoming more intelligent. Our phones, television and cars are now considered “smart”. We teach our kids core subjects - reading, writing, math. But we’re leaving out a key component in preparing students for the future. Coding is becoming a necessary 21st century skill. Why aren’t we teaching our students to speak the language of code?

Sphero enables students to become technologically literate through fun and engaging activities while shaping a brighter future.

How do I get started?

A great place to start is by joining SPRK Lightning Lab. Lightning Lab is a community of Sphero users sharing and creating together. There are lesson plans and pre-made Sphero programs ready for you and your students to personalize. Check out these creative activities!

For purchasing information, please contact Karrie Zanetti - kzanetti@jeffco.k12.co.us

Here are just a few!

• Studying the solar system? Use your Sphero to replicate the solar system
• Got a unit on Ancient Egypt? Build a chariot and see if your Sphero can pull your Pharaoh. 
• Combine Breakout EDU with your Sphero! 
• Use your Sphero to paint! 
• Bring coding and geometry together with your Sphero with angles or program through a maze! 
• Check out what Sphero can do for your Forces in motion unit. 
• Sphero can even be incorporated in ELA!

For more information go to Sphero’s website http://www.sphero.com/
Or follow Sphero on Twitter: @Spheroedu

Blend your Instruction: Begin with Embedding

So much to be done! So little time! The pressure on teachers to get everything done by the end of the school day is formidable. How do you cover the curriculum and allow students to be active learners? Take a baby step into the world of Blended Learning. Blended Learning is “blending” the best of both worlds...the face to face interaction of the classroom with the flexibility of online activities such as discussions, video instruction, content delivery, and group work. Whether it is through a 1:1 environment, or the use of just a few student devices/computers in the classrooms, blended learning will save you time and energy in effectively and efficiently covering the content that needs to be covered.

One of the most useful things in presenting digital content is to use a source’s embed code. You can embed many things to your webpage or learning management system, like Schoology, and get rid of paper and textbooks!

What is an embed code?

How is an embed code different than a link? An embed code allows users to take content and place it where they want. A link will take you away from wherever you are on a webpage or Schoology page and take you to the source. That’s not always most efficient or effective when you want students to use the information presented to them and do something with it, like submit an assignment or take a quiz. The best part of embedding is that the only thing you need to know is how to copy and paste.

What kinds of things can you embed in Schoology?

• YouTube videos
• Google Maps
• Google Presentations
• PDF documents

This presentation provides you specific steps in embedding 4 different types of content into a Schoology page, discussion, assignment or quiz.

Don't forget to:

Go Digital with Notes using Google Keep

Sticky Note Overload???? Digitize your notes with Google Keep.

This is an excellent tool to use for creating digital sticky notes. It is a clean, user-friendly interface. It only takes one click to write a note, upload a picture or create a to-do list through the web interface or through the mobile app. It’s as simple as tapping the note text field, and then start typing.

Google Keep allows you to color-code your notes and lists so you can easily categorize and find them. 

You can even include images in your notes.

You can create to-do lists, notes for lesson plans, take minutes from meetings, and basically anything you want to remember. Why use Google Keep? The main reason for putting your notes in the cloud is so that you have access to them anytime, anywhere you have an internet connection. That means you can assess and edit your notes from your phone, your tablet, Chromebook or your laptop...across all devices! Since it is a Google product, anyone with a Gmail or a Google Apps account has access, so there is not a separate login like with other tools.

• You can easily set reminders to receive notifications to complete a task. Simply click on the reminder button and select a reminder by date and time or reminder by location.
• It now supports real-time collaborative editing, so you can share your notes with others for viewing and editing. Simply click on the Share icon, type the email address of the person with whom you wish to share, and it appears is their Google Keep. Think of the power this feature has with students and the many ways they can benefit from this easy-to-use tool.
• You can also copy directly to a Google doc. 

Not surprising is that like other Google tools, Google Keep notes are also searchable.

Watch this video to see how easy Google Keep can keep you organized!

Get started by installing the Google Keep app from the Chrome store.

You can also install the Google Tabs for Google Keep extension from the Chrome store to further categorize your notes. This handy extension allows you quickly add a note to a predetermined color-coded category. You can click on a category title and see all notes associated with that category with just one click. No more wasting times looking through all your notes!

For more information on using Google Keep, check out this video: