Google Applications Training

There are several upcoming opportunities to build your professional expertise using the Google suite of applications.  These are all online courses, offered through the AEA Online Course System.

Intro to Google Apps:  Tools to Integrate
        January 31 - March 27
        April 3 - May 29

Doing More with Google Drive - Classroom Application
        January 11 - March 6
        April 21 - May 15

Google Sites
       January 31 - April 27, 2016
       April 3 - May 29, 2016

All three of these courses are available for 2 License Renewal, Graduate Credit, or Substitute Authorization Renewal Credit

            $190.00 License Renewal Credit (2)

            $190.00 Substitute Authorization Renewal Credit (2)

            $340.00 Drake Graduate Credit (2)

            $300.00 Morningside Graduate Credit (2)

            $340.00 Viterbo Graduate Credit (2)

For more information, contact Kay Schmalen, AEA267 Technology Consultant

Hour of Code

“Hour of Code” is an initiative to introduce all students to coding, or computer programming during Computer Science Education Week, which was Dec. 7-13.

This year, we worked to have all students in grades 5-8 at Grinnell Middle School included in activities. GMS was one of over 190,000 organizations worldwide to participate in 2015.

Learning coding is not just about learning computer science, but also building problem-solving skills, logic, and creativity. It also helps provide a foundation for many 21st Century careers.


Activities included:

	Students in 5-8 worked through introductory activities on the code.org website.   They started with simple programs that were Star Wars, Frozen, or Minecraft themed. Student recorded their minutes as to 'compete' with 11 other area schools in. gmscoding.weebly.com
	Students in Mrs. Schade’s class used a MakeyMakey kit to build a robot controller for 3 different activities:   -Play a piano keyboard -Control a Pac Man game -Play different parts of a drum set. Students wrote reflections then from their experiences.
	Mrs. Strawser’s class worked to build animations and learn some basics of game design using a programming language, called Scratch. The class also had a guest, Dr. Ursula Wolz, a computer science expert, visit the class.
	Students learned the basics of programming using the new Finch robots and SNAP! programming language during the Technology Exploratory course. Students simply snap together block commands to build a program.
	In the Technology Exploratory Course, one of the students’ first coding challenges was to build a program that included controllers to play a game of Robot Soccer.  The 'ball' was a hacky-sack and the 'goals' were small boxes. With each challenge, students are to write a reflection about their problem-solving process.