12 Days of EdTech
'Twas the night before class, and all through the screen,
Not a student was stirring, not even a teen.
The devices were charged by the outlets with care,
In hopes that tech knowledge soon would be there.
The teachers were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of Promethean danced in their heads.
And laptops in backpacks, and tablets in hand,
They dreamed of a digital fun wonderland.
When out on the web there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my mouse to see what was the matter.
Away to the browser, I flew like a flash,
Clicked on the tab, and cleared out my cache.
The glow of the screen on the virtual page,
Gave luster to learning; each student engaged!
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a website so lively, with lessons so clear.
With avatars guiding, and gamified lore,
I knew in a moment, there'd be so much more.
More rapid than eagles, inspiration it came,
And it whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now Google! Now Canva! Now, Adobe and more!
On, Minecraft! On, Pear Deck! And platforms galore!
To the top of the search! To the depths of the net!
Now learn away, learn away, no need to fret!"
Traditions embraced, with the joy of AI
Imagination unleashed, the limit? The sky!
So up to the cloud-top the ideas they flew,
With minds full of wisdom, and new skills to pursue.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard in my ear,
The clicking and typing of students so near.
With Gamification of lessons galore!
I could tell that my students would learn so much more.
They dressed in their best, from their heads to their feet,
Recording their video projects, so neat.
And editing, layering and producing stuff, too
A bundle of knowledge they loved to pursue.
Fun Maker Challenges had teachers so merry!
Building devices and products and contraptions to carry
They lay down their copper wire just right,
To make the glow of the circuit card light bulbs so bright.
We have holiday hijinks, where clues can be found
Escape rooms and treasures and puzzles abound.
In this digital classroom, the tables were turned,
Students love to show off all the things they had learned
Now a chorus of chargers, a symphony of plugs,
Juicing up devices, like diligent bugs.
In the hum of connection, a charge to renew,
The day's work complete, a tech rendezvous.
And I heard them exclaim as they logged off with glee,
"Happy learning to all, and to all, tech mastery!"
Orange videos are student tutorials. Green videos are teacher instructions.
Ask EdTech to teach the lesson to your students by submitting a ticket!
Day 1
Merry-Maker Challenge
Look around your classroom or your home. Are there things that aren’t working the way they should be? Is there something you can build to solve a problem? You can use everyday items to create solutions to problems around your home or classroom. Learn more about this design challenge by watching this video.
Resources for Students & Teachers
Day 2
Circuit Cards
Grades 3rd-12th Unleash the Creativity this Holiday Season with a DIY Light-up Paper Cards! Design a beautifully crafted card and then take it to the next level by wiring up the inside with a fabulous light circuit that will make the front of your card shine like a star!
Want a kit? Request one Here!
We have 23 class kits ready to go! Class kits include lights, coin cell batteries and copper tape for 30 projects/students. Complete the form for a chance at one of the complete kits. You will be notified if you are selected or not by the end of day on December 1st.
Follow us on Instagram or X for 12 Days Updates @edtechaps
Project Resources
Materials List (English)
Slide Deck (for visual support during the activity)
Day 3
Holiday Hijinks
Students can creatively solve puzzles and escape rooms today! Check out the different options from Pixel Art mystery pictures to a Google tool escape room and interactive puzzle games on Google Arts & Culture.
Primary
Winter Pixel Art
Winter themed pixel art. Students practice typing on the keyboard to get ready to log onto devices in our digital learning spaces.
Intermediate
12 Days of EdTech Escape Room
Embark on an exciting winter journey through different cultural holidays in this Escape room! ! With an emphasis on collaboration and problem-solving, students navigate through mazes, unlock word and number codes, and match images to uncover a clue from each holiday. The teacher's cheat sheet provides answers. All activities and clues are built out and ready to use.
Secondary
Interactive Games on Google Arts & Culture
Play some interactive games on the Google Arts & Culture site and improve your knowledge while having fun!
Day 4
Gifts of Google
Google applications offer an endless amount of possibilities to explore! Today, students can use tools like Google Slides, Docs, Practice Sets, and more to explore all things winter & winter holidays!
Primary
Create a Winter Scene in Slides
Transform your ideas into a winter wonderland with the magical touch of Google Slides! Unleash your creativity and design a captivating winter scene that sparkles with festive charm using this slide deck. From frosty landscapes to cheerful snowmen, Google Slides is your virtual canvas for crafting a snowy spectacle that will leave your students enchanted and engaged.
Intermediate
All Things Winter using Google Tools
Embark on a winter learning adventure with APS's 12 days of EdTech - Gifts of Google activities! From a festive Holidays Quiz to a creative Winter Puzzle, these seven engaging Google-tools based activities are student-ready, instantly usable, and come with clear video instructions. Explore the full slide deck for a full collection of Winter fun and new Google skills in Forms, Slides, Sheets, Docs, Drawings, Maps and Chrome!
Secondary
Practice Sets in Google Classroom
Teachers, assign Practice Sets through Google Classroom for quick, self-grading formative assessments that are standards based! Help kids learn about the holidays with these self-paced Practice Sets that can be assigned through Google Classroom.
Day 5
Magic of Minecraft
Harness the magic of Minecraft EDU using these example worlds & lesson ideas. Students can download & import the world to their device to play.
Primary & Intermediate
Minecraft Literary Character Study
Use this Minecraft world as a Literary Character Study! The space provided in this world is meant for you to build something that relates to a character in a story. It can be a tool they might use, a house they may live in, or the character themselves.
Secondary
Winter Scenes in Minecraft
Build a winter scene in Minecraft using this pre-made world with activities ready-to-go!
Share the world for teachers
Importing the world for students
Video Instructions for students
Day 6
New Traditions with AI
Ready to dip your toes into really fun & engaging tools that leverage AI? We've got what you need right here. Check out Adobe Firefly & more!
Primary
Holiday Traditions using Adobe Firefly
Help students learn how to use Adobe Firefly to create a digital representation of their favorite family holiday tradition with AI. This is a fun activity that can be done on an iPad or Chromebook with PreK - 2.
Intermediate
AI Explorations
Use AI chatbots to facilitate traditions conversations, to generate hilarious collaborative stories, or creating these prompts cover a range of engaging projects. Students can explore AI-recommended holiday recipes, translate phrases, take quizzes, and even use AI to compose their own holiday music. These activities can be done at APS as a whole group with students
Secondary
Analyze an AI Written Essay
Students will analyze a Chat-GPT essay for structure, content, and word choice.
Day 7
Wonderful World of Promethean
Did you know that the Promethean World website contains a resource library full of pre-made ActivInspire flipchart lessons & activites? Here are a few winter themed choices that you can download & open on your own device. Read the lesson plan & watch the video to learn more.
First Day of Winter Story Recall & Sequence
Students will read a story and practice their recall & sequence skills in this guided activity.
Test your knowledge using this winter holiday themed Jeopardy board built into a flipchart. It’s interactive!
Practice & build on your winter solstice knowledge with this informative flipchart. There’s an included google form quiz to use if you’d like to up the assessment for this activity!
Day 8
Cool Coding
Slide into some computer science practice using these cool coding activities! Students can start out with simple directional block coding all the way up to learning the Python coding language in Minecraft EDU.
Primary
CodeMonkey Jr Hour of Code
Students will explore basic block coding while helping CodeMonkey collect all the bananas and treasure they can hold!
Intermediate
Greeting Card Remix on Scratch
Using Scratch, students can remix a template to code & share a greeting card to share with another person. The template has helpful tips and instructions for how to customize the greeting card using different sprites (characters), backdrops, audio, and of course block code!
Secondary
Minecraft - Python Islands Part 1
Start to become familiar with Variables within Python and their basic uses.
Day 9
Create Cheer with Canva
Use Canva to bring some cheer to your classmates, families, and anyone else you choose! Make some cards and animations all inside of the Canva platform. Follow the directions below in order to share the activities with your students.
How to Assign a Template: Open the template link. Click “use this template”. Go to Share. Click Assignment. Pick the assign in Canva option from the dropdown menu. Click publish. Type in your class name as listed in synergy. Now click publish and all your students will get a copy in Canva.
Primary
Snowmen at Night Story Animation
Join the Frosty Fun: Discover What Snowmen Get Up to When the Sun Sets. Bring the Story to Life and Share the Magic! As you journey through the pages of this wintery tale, use Canva's animation tools to really bring the story to life. You'll create a read-a-loud experience that's sure to be remembered for years to come.
Intermediate
Get your festive juices flowing and dive headfirst into a winter wonderland! Sprinkle some extra sparkle into your holiday season by creating a video card that'll warm the hearts of your loved ones. With Canva's background remover and audio and video features, you can whip up a masterpiece that'll be the talk of the town. Follow our video tutorial to learn how to spread the jolly vibes!
Secondary
Explore the Fascinating World of AI with Canva's Text-to-Image Tool! With Canva's text-to-image tool, you can dive into the world of artificial intelligence and create a stunning card with personal touches and impressive elements. Get started now and let your creativity run wild!
Day 10
Gamification Goodies
These gamified goodies are perfect to use on days like today where the time is long and the lesson plan is short! Using Seesaw, Pear Deck or Google - let students get a little creative.
Primary
Peary's Closet
Use Seesaw to help Peary get dressed for the correct season. Teachers, assign this lesson in your Seesaw class for a fun and engaging game about dressing for the correct season.
Intermediate
Winter Fun Pear Deck
These quick slides were designed to drop into your lessons for a bit of fun! You can use them as a bell-ringer, to check attendance, as a brain break, or as part of your class festivities for the winter solstice!
Secondary
Pixel Art
Students can learn about Google Sheets and create their own pixel art using Google Applied Digital Skills lesson. Create pixel art for a holiday image of their choice, all while learning more about how Google Sheets works. Great for any 6-12 grade level or content.
Day 11
Making Memories with Video Tools
Students have all the tools they need to plan, produce, edit, and share a video project! Try out these activities using Seesaw, Adobe Express, & Flip to make memories visual this December.
Primary
Elfie Selfie
'Tis the season to spread some joy with some fun-filled photos. Whether you're with a sidekick or flying solo, it's time to pose for the perfect holiday selfie. To add some extra magic to your snap, jazz it up with elf hats, glasses, sparkling lights, or anything that makes you feel the holiday spirit. Ready, set, cheese!
Elfie Selfie Template
Intermediate
My Favorite Part of Winter with Adobe Express
Learn some basic video production skills with this easy-to-do activity. Students will layer videos and text with music to create a dynamic movie of their favorite winter things.
Secondary
Holiday Traditions Research with Flip
Have students complete research on winter holidays celebrated around the world. Then, they can create a video presentation using Flip for low stakes, engaging presentations using the fun video editing tools in Flip.
Day 12
All Aboard the Adobe Express
Choo-Choo! The redesigned Adobe Express platform is ready for your to level up your fun today. Try out Animate from Audio, the AI image generator, or the new video editor to let your students express themselves!
Primary
Animate from Audio Holiday Cards
Students of any age can use this exciting tool from Adobe Express to record a holiday message to families and the Adobe Express magic will put their voice onto an animated character!
Intermediate
Photoshop Yourself Into an Imaginary World
Create an imaginary world with the power of Adobe’s AI tools, then Photoshop yourself into the picture! Then pair this project with a creative writing activity to bring your literacy block to life. Great for grades 3-12.
Secondary
2024 Goals Social Media Video
TikTok, Reels, Shorts: Show off your 2024 goals with this easy-to-edit social media video. You can even add in some music!
Our ultimate goal is to support the Albuquerque Public Schools community with the effective integration of technology. We want all learners to have authentic and self-directed learning experiences in a secure digital environment. If you want EdTech to collaborate with you and your students, please submit a service desk ticket and we will gladly visit your classroom and get your students excited to use technology!
