The following article was submitted by Sharyn Merrigan, instructional technology specialist and teacher-librarian liaison

Google Docs has recently added features to structure common document types. Building Blocks are templates that can be added directly into a document from the Insert menu. The two most common Building Blocks in Google Docs are Email Draft and Meeting Notes, both of which are useful for educators. Another Building Block, Review Tracker, is a tracker that could be used for classroom projects or to create interactive rubrics.

Google Docs’ Email Draft Building Block enables teachers to compose messages and save them as drafts for later use. Clicking on the Gmail icon will open the text directly into a message window. Here are a few ways teachers can benefit from email drafts:

1. Parent-Teacher Communication: Create email templates for frequently addressed topics, such as upcoming events, classroom updates, or individual student progress. These templates can be customized and personalized before sending them to parents, saving time and ensuring consistent communication.
2. Peer Collaboration: Draft emails with colleagues for common messages or to get input before sending. This approach not only ensures clear communication but also enhances efficiency by minimizing the need to retype or rephrase similar messages.
3. Student Feedback: Teachers can draft individualized emails to provide students with constructive feedback, acknowledging their achievements or addressing concerns. By saving drafts, teachers can revisit and refine their messages, ensuring clarity and effectiveness in their communication.

Google Docs’ Meeting Notes Building Block automatically names the meeting, includes the date and attendees, and creates space for notes and tasks. Consider the following practices for utilizing Meeting Notes in Google Docs:

1. Real-Time Collaboration: During meetings, teachers can create a shared document where participants can contribute
2. Agendas and Action Items: Prior to the meeting, teachers can create an agenda document and share it with attendees. During the meeting, notes can be added to each agenda item, and action items can be assigned with due dates
3. Student progress conferencing: When meeting with a student to discuss a project or piece of writing, notes can be recorded and to-do items listed. The teacher and student then have a record of what was discussed and next steps.

Project-based learning and assignments are common in classrooms, requiring teachers and students to keep track of various tasks, deadlines, and progress. Google Docs’ Review Tracker Building Block provides a visual representation of project milestones and offers an efficient way to monitor and communicate project-related information.

1. Task Management: Teachers can create review trackers to outline project objectives, tasks, deadlines, and responsible individuals. By sharing these trackers with students, everyone involved can stay informed about project progress, ensuring accountability and fostering a sense of ownership.
2. Status Updates: Review trackers can be updated regularly to reflect task completion, challenges encountered, or upcoming milestones. By using color-coding or progress indicators, teachers can provide a visual representation of progress, facilitating easy identification of areas requiring attention or additional support.
3. Rubrics and Self-Assessment: The labels within the review tracker are editable and could be used instead for students to assess their progress toward their goals and provide peer feedback.

The following article was submitted by Instructional Technology TOSA Jamie Sproul

School-based teams from around the district came together on May 18 to share the work that they have done this year integrating media literacy and digital citizenship into their classrooms and school culture.

Small teams, led by teacher-librarians and other teacher-leaders, set up table exhibits to showcase projects ranging from kindergartners analyzing the feelings inspired by a story to high school students updating the concept of 1984’s Big Brother to include social media algorithms.

District educators were encouraged to attend the Showcase to share ideas and collaborate on future lessons. More than 80 participants attended the event. The evening culminated with a keynote address from Jennifer LaGarde, an amazing teacher-librarian, presenter, and leader in media literacy education who spoke about the rising impact of artificial intelligence on the creation and dissemination of mis-, dis-, and mal-information.

The evening marked the culmination of the 2022-23 DII 2.0 Professional Learning Cohort. Attending educators shared the following reflections on their learning:

“Media literacy is more than determining if news is fake. It’s more about thinking about your own emotions as you look at information and considering who benefits from your feeling this way.”

“We can’t possibly know all the tech tools, but we can approach them with intention and thoughtfulness.”

“Our Avanti Symposium created a network of community stakeholders that we can and did share with everyone else in our district tonight. It takes a village.”

“It has been awesome to have this work with coworkers and to take these concepts to the staff and students in our building! Next step: families too! Great support from instructors and we found many people in the greater community who are passionate about this work.”

“I now have some go-to language to use when talking with students about things I find concerning about their media usage or acceptance. In the past I knew something fell off but I wasn’t sure what to do about it.”

“I was nervous about teaching it to Kinders but they were ready.”

“I realized all my classes and all ages need these skills, not just teens and core subjects.”