The Hour of Code is back for 2024, and it’s more exciting than ever! This global movement, celebrated during Computer Science Education Week (December 9–15, 2024), inspires millions of students in over 180 countries to explore the world of coding. Designed to spark interest in computer science, the Hour of Code provides learners with hands-on opportunities to build, create, and solve problems using coding principles.

This year’s theme, “Coding for Tomorrow’s World,” highlights how coding is shaping the future—from creating smart technology to solving global challenges. Whether your students are beginners or tech-savvy pros, there’s something for everyone. Activities range from block-based programming for younger learners to advanced coding projects for older students, featuring popular platforms like Scratch, Code.org, and Python.

Why join the Hour of Code? It’s more than just a fun activity; it’s an opportunity to develop critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills that are essential for the future. Coding isn’t just for computer scientists—it’s for everyone.

Getting started is simple: choose a coding activity, set aside an hour, and watch as your students dive into the world of technology with curiosity and enthusiasm. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or student, the Hour of Code makes computer science accessible and fun for all.

Visit hourofcode.com to explore resources, tutorials, and tips to make your Hour of Code event a success. Let’s code the future together!

Using Google Docs for weekly extended and short constructed responses can be a powerful way to help elementary students practice keyboarding skills while developing their writing abilities. Start by having students read a passage on Monday, then each day throughout the week, assign a different question. These responses can alternate between short or extended formats, promoting critical thinking and comprehension. The reading passage and questions can be generated quickly and tailored to students’ levels using ChatGPT, making it easy to customize content. This approach not only reinforces literacy skills but also provides a natural way for students to grow comfortable with typing, formatting, and editing. Below is an example using the new tabs feature in Google Docs:

• Pumpkins: A Fascinating Fruit

After students complete their daily responses, you can use an AI extension like Brisk to provide timely, rubric-based feedback aligned with the district IPG. Simply copy and paste this feedback directly onto their document, giving students a chance to review and improve before tackling the next question.

Snorkl is a game-changing tool for elementary classrooms, helping teachers see how kids think and solve problems. It’s designed to make student thinking visible, letting teachers understand where each student might need extra help or when they’re ready for a challenge. With an easy-to-use interface, Snorkl encourages kids to share their ideas confidently, building their communication skills and helping them feel good about learning. Teachers can use Snorkl to tailor lessons based on what students show they understand. It’s all about boosting engagement, making learning fun, and giving kids a safe space to explore and express their thoughts. View the video tutorial below to learn more.

You can create a variety of vocabulary activities using Diffit like: generating leveled reading passages with highlighted key vocabulary words, creating custom vocabulary lists, adding definitions and example sentences for those words, generating multiple-choice questions based on the vocabulary, and even incorporating images to visually reinforce word meanings, all while adjusting the difficulty level based on student needs; essentially allowing you to tailor vocabulary practice to different learners within a classroom. View the video below to discover how to create these resources with just a few clicks!

Every teacher gets 60 days of free trial access to Premium features automatically, starting from the date they create their free Diffit account. Need a 4 month extension? Use this code: diffit.me/redeem?code=XRDWTEEU

Exciting news 🎉 It’s Digital Citizenship Week! This week-long event focuses on teaching students how to use technology responsibly and safely.

I encourage everyone to engage students in meaningful discussions about digital responsibility. With technology playing such a big role in their lives, students must understand why making responsible choices online matters—for their privacy, their interactions with others, and their future opportunities.

During morning announcements, your campus will be sharing daily tips that can help guide student behavior when using devices. These tips can open up great classroom discussions about important topics like:

• Protecting personal information and online privacy
• Practicing ethical online behavior
• Managing distractions from devices
• Taking good care of devices
• Creating a classroom pledge for responsible digital use

Here are some classroom activities and resources aligned with the 2024 TEKS for Digital Citizenship to help spark discussions about the impact of our digital choices.

Thank you for your commitment to preparing our students for the future!

What are Tabs in Google Docs? 

Google Docs will soon roll out an organizational feature called tabs. Similar to the way tabs work in Google Sheets, this feature allows you to create multiple tabs within a single document. Each tab has its own unique title and ID (visible in the URL). You can even create child tabs that nest beneath a parent tab, making it easy to structure your document hierarchically.

One great use case for this feature is creating a more streamlined weekly lesson plan. Instead of having all your content in one long document, you can create separate tabs for each subject area. For example, create a tab for Math, Science, Social Studies and Reading, and paste your content-specific tables on their respective pages. This setup significantly reduces the need for scrolling and makes navigating through your document much simpler.

Using screen recording is a powerful way to make student thinking visible, transforming how we understand and support individual learning journeys. By capturing their problem-solving process in real time, students can reflect on their approach, explain their reasoning, and justify their decisions. This not only fosters personal growth but also promotes a classroom culture where mistakes are viewed as valuable learning opportunities. As students articulate their thinking, they move beyond rote memorization, developing a deeper, more flexible understanding of math concepts.

I often get asked whether teachers can block YouTube on student devices. The short answer is no, as YouTube is widely used by teachers across the district as an instructional resource. However, there are options to help manage student access. On Chromebooks, you can lock students into a specific tab, and on iPads, you can lock them into an app. Below are resources for both Securly and Apple Classroom to assist with managing student device usage.

• 📊 Reading Fluency Assessment: Quickly understand student progress in literacy skills by collecting and automatically analyzing student reading samples. This tool provides at-a-glance, actionable reports to help you identify trends and students needing additional support.
• 📗 Read-with-Me Scaffolding Tool: Support emerging readers with passages that can be read aloud with word-by-word highlighting, helping students make connections between spoken and written words.
• ✏️ Free Response Assessment: A top-requested feature! This allows you to collect open-text responses, autograde them, and aggregate the data for insightful reporting.
• 🎲 Flexcard: Engage students with our new Flexcard tool! Customize activities with text, images, and voice on up to 30 sides. Use pre-made cards or create your own for ELA and Math.
• 🔍 Focus Mode: Limit what’s on the creative canvas to minimize distractions and ensure students respond appropriately. Tailor activities to your students’ developmental levels.

Brought to you by NEISD Instructional Technology. Happy Holidays!

As the end of a most unusual year approaches, you might want to begin thinking about how to celebrate student achievement virtually. Below are some ideas curated from Twitter. Click here to view full screen.

One of my favorite Twitter peeps, Amanda Sandoval (@historysandoval) provided the inspiration for this year’s May the 4th Be With You celebration. Her gameboard like Google Slides template has gone viral and I thought it would be the perfect format to curate fun Star Wars themed activities. Click here to view the Slide full screen. Click here to make a copy

Click here for the Seesaw version.