#DeviceFreeDinner

Combining Common Sense's #DeviceFreeDinner with The Family Dinner Project's Conversation Starters and Dinner Games is sure to make some lasting memories this holiday season. Give it a try at your house!

Holiday Themed Games and Websites

If you're looking for some fun online games this holiday season, check out technology rocks. seriously's recent blog posts. Some have a religious tone while others are secular. 

Gingerbread Fun

Online Tree Decorating

Reindeer Fun

Interactive Christmas Games

Christmas Apps

Nativity Resources

Countdown to Christmas

Christmas Fun

Snow Fun

20 Chrome Extensions, Web Apps, & Add-ons for Math

I recently came across this list of 20 Chrome Extensions, Web Apps, & Add-ons for Math. A few are geared toward elementary but there are several that could be helpful at the high school level. Take a look!

21 Chrome Extensions for Struggling Students and Special Needs

Check out this list of 21 Chrome Extensions for Struggling Students and Special Needs. There are several helpful Chrome extensions that you may want to investigate further. The list includes Test-to-Speech extensions, Readability extensions, Reading Comprehension extensions, Focus extensions, & Navigation extensions. 

Doodle: Scheduling Made Easy

Doodle is a FREE website designed to help schedule event or meeting times. Create a Doodle with all of the possible dates/times for a meeting or holiday party then send the link out to your team. Everyone selects all the times they can attend and the one with the most votes wins! Easy!

App: PhotoScan by Google

If you're looking for a way to scan old photos without a scanner, check out Google's PhotoScan app (iTunes, Google Play) mentioned in this DMN article. 

Digital Citizenship and Documenting Learning

This article on Digital Citizenship and Documenting Learning explores the the relationship between literacy and documenting learning. HOW does documenting learning have an effects on awareness, skills and developing habits around the so called 21st century “Now” literacies.

11 Tips for Keeping Up with Technology

With the ever changing world of technology, it's hard to keep up. Mindshift recently tweeted this graphic with tips. Take a look!

What is a Twitter Chat anyway?

The evening of Wednesday, November 16, Frisco ISD held our first ever Twitter Chat under the hashtag #FISDchat. With over 50 participants for our first attempt, it was pretty successful. The discussions were great between the professionals who contributed but Centennial HS didn't have much representation. There will be more Twitter Chats later this school year. We'll send out the schedule once it's set.

What is a Twitter Chat?
Twitter chats, sometimes known as a Twitter party or a tweet chat, happen when a group of people all tweet about the same topic using a specific hashtag (#) that allows it to be followed on Twitter. The chats are at a specific time. 

Do you have to participate or can you just watch?
You don't have to participate but often as discussions progress you'll likely feel the urge to share your own thoughts and experiences. Set up a Twitter account and handle beforehand, just incase you want to contribute.

Resources. These may help you prepare for the next #FISDchat...

• Frisco ISD's Tips for Signing Up for Twitter
• Frisco ISD's How to Participate in a Twitter Chat
• FISD's Digital Melting Pot: Twitter page
• 10 things that happen during a Twitter chat article

As always, you can ask me any questions you may have!

eSchool Gradebook Indicators

If you haven't clicked on the indicators in your gradebook, you should. In my opinion, the "Student was absent this day" indicator is probably the most useful. Click on these in your gradebook and see what they do!