Technology Integration | Contextualized Examples for Teaching & Learning
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A.I. Integrations with Pedagogical Purpose
Recent Tech Connect prep period sessions with Blaine High School teachers have showcased ways to leverage artificial intelligence (A.I.) aimed at achieving building goals.
Two examples of that are designing a second scoop of learning (or intervention) with Google's Notebook LM. Now a native tool in Google Classroom, students can dialogue with a chatbot informed only by the resources that a teacher selects while also quickly generating an audio deep dive, instructional video, and study guides in just minutes.
A second example of seamless A.I. integration is coaching teachers to create Gems within Google Gemini to request feedback on chunks of student writing for feedback (in target language or English) or a chat experience with a historical figure to learn more about their story and their impact on society.
Academic Integrity -- Student-Created Content
I partnered up with NHS and Student Council to address the elephant in the room: artificial intelligence & academic integrity. We had a team of 10 students that met during collaborative team time (45 minutes ahead of student arrival time) for several Mondays. Students were engaging asynchronously also on Google Classroom. They paired up on their roles to outline, create content, capture video, edit, publish, and share the final product. It resulted in a really rich resources for advisory that was student-led. And I couldn't be more proud of the work that they created.
Asynchronous Professional Development | Flex PD
Shortly after Distance Learning, our district opened up the opportunity for teachers to flex their professional development, opting in for a more personalized and meaningful experience. Since staff were feeling more confident with our LMS, Google Classroom, it was ideal timing to package new learning, putting teachers in the online seat of our P-12 learners with Flex PD. Building goals drove the decision on content. This example is contextualized in the science department -- a collaborative team I was working with closely. It quickly developed into an opportunity for more teachers to see to leverage district supported learning technologies to meet and exceed their goals.
Audio | Podcasting
Audio is a powerful tool in language learning and other teaching contexts. World language teachers can support students with special needs (those with IEPs and 504s alike) by recording assessments to play for students or link a hyper doc of audio and discretely assign to specific students in Google Classroom. Apps and tools may vary but handouts & embedded video tutorial like this one posted in an LMS can serve as a great conduit to focus energy on learning instead of technology.
Badges
I continue to explore options to engage students with purposeful tech tools. As a teacher leader, I improve each year with the help of innovative colleagues, training, and tutorials.
@bengalbytes Student-Led Technology Club
Distance learning in the context of a global COVID-19 pandemic was chaotic to say the very least. However, one silver lining to an awful situation was the creation of Bengal Bytes, a student-led technology club on Instagram that generated content based on our three pillars:
1) Tech tips to support learners and students during distance learning
2) Reminders of upcoming important dates
3) Positive messaging to promote wellness
Communications to Staff | Learning Technologies Bundles | .pdf version
Feedback from teachers during Distance Learning reshaped the communication from our department. It was time to bundle and prioritize what we share with staff. About every 2 weeks we send out a bundle that shares an announcement about an upcoming Thursday Tech Connect opportunity during teacher prep time. Next, we prioritize 6-10 announcements as Need to Know & Want to Know. The last section lets people off the hook in case their bandwidth doesn't permit the entire newsletter.
Content-Based Instruction
This is a classic example of using tech tools in context while also in target language. Context: Topic of green energies. After recently reading about air pollution in Mexico City, I shared a forced copy in Google Sheets listing 7 threats to the environment. Students negotiated in target language in groups commenting to justify their ranked order including acid rain, overuse of antibiotics, greenhouse gasses, etc. Click here to watch the lesson >>
Flex PD & Tech Connect Prep Sessions
We host professional development every other Thursday in the Innovation Center called Tech Connect. It's a chance to check in on folks, offer them new learning, and hear about how it might play out in everyone's teaching & learning context.
Timely and relevant topics from 2025-26 include:
Communicating Early with Families (using Reach My Teach) + Conversation Roleplay
Design Engaging Slide Decks with PearDeck
AI Tools for Productivity & Student Feedback
Collaborate Online with FigJam
Getting the Pulse of Learning with EdPuzzle
Design a 2nd Scoop of Learning with District Tools
Explore AI Stations to Reach More Learners
Unleash Student Voice & Choice with Google Vids
Create Support Resources with Notebook LM
New from Google Classroom: Class Tools
Instructional Design
Intentional use of embedding a reading strategy called ACTIVE learned at the WAFLT language teaching conference affords learners chunks of scaffolded stations to engage with throughout the entire text several times. This strategy has fueled so much rich discussion leaving novice and intermediate readings feeling successful with short stories like Un pez en las manos from the Dominican Republic.
New Teacher Onboarding
Many districts are focused on recruiting and retaining high quality teachers. After getting many of the same questions from new hires, the tech coordinators of the five traditional high schools teamed up in Anoka-Hennepin to co-create a New Teacher Site. The goal of the site is to walk new hires through tools and systems that they will need to get through the first week with new students. It answers a lot of the questions that new faces have serving as one additional resource during one of our busiest seasons. This is one of first resources that we show new teachers introduce and end up revisiting it a lot during our first year together.
Check out the site for yourself at tinyurl.com/newblaineteacher or
https://sites.google.com/ahschools.us/newteacher/home
¿Qué Tal La Semana? | Bi-Weekly Student Video Check-In
Students in high school levels 2-4 turn in 4 video check-ins per semester. Each level varies based on proficiency level; novice describes what they are going to do that week and intermediate students describe what they have done something they're doing today in detail. This is one of my all-time favorite tech integration activities that invites kids to showcase control of past, present, and future like Madi does in this example while also getting to know kids outside of class. Students are given suggestions on how they might submit a video to a learning management system (LMS) however they also have autonomy to choose how they create a file or leave a link. Here is what the proficiency-oriented rubric looks like that can be adapter for any level.
Student-Created Proficiency Portfolios
For many in the journey of standards-based grading, a digital portfolio serves as a vehicle for students to showcase evidence of learning. Each semester my students in Spanish class create 2-5 samples of that we can curate as a part of a proficiency portfolio. As a licensed language teacher, this portfolio is a great way for students to document growth and learning during their own adventure of language acquisition.
Click into this Digital Student Portfolio Hub to use with your students to create their own site to link in a cover letter, include for a corporate job application, highlight in a college or university entrance essay or include for entrance to the military. Also, here is a link to Amelia's example portfolio from Spanish 3B.
Video Conference
Student-Led | Professional Development | Communication
Speakers, outside experts, and authors are now easily accessible with the help of video conferencing tools. One clip embedded below is a video example of students connecting with a mechanical engineer with expertise in renewable energies for a 20-minute Q&A in target language -- Spanish. The second is the video I sent out to introduce myself to parents and guardians for my first trimester in a new school district. It highlights some things about me, course expectations, and becoming familiar with course materials.
Video Editing, Publishing, and Sharing
I frequently use iMovie to create videos for instruction and to celebrate our staff member of the trimester. One of my highlights each semester is to illuminate a staff member nominated by colleagues and voted on by our Instructional Leadership Committee. The first asset here, the Google Slides deck is the instructional handout with embedded video tutorials to support learners. The second is an example of the outcome.
¡Visita Madrid!
This signature tech integration activity for Spanish 1 (or any novice course) is standards-based and anchored into two authentic texts:
1) a city guide where your target language is spoken
2) 360cities.net maps of that location
It takes the postcard activity to the next level, inviting students to co-create a 30-second or 60-second radio announcement to come visit the city based on their interests from the city guide. Click the sound icon here to listen to a student example. Be sure to explore the <Visita Madrid> website to explore authentic texts, fully developed lesson plans and see student writing samples.
Webinars
These 30-minute webinars serve well as the perfect invitation to early adopters of technology and also support others interested in learning more. During 2020 distance learning during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, these helped train many people in a safe manner. The topics were determined based on an interest survey delivered to all staff. My goal was to help contextualize purposeful, pedagogical uses for each department to make them meaningful.
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