Well it's been a crazy start to the year! In my last post I said I'd have my next post up within the first two weeks, but it's already Week 6 and this weekend was the first time I've even looked at the site since the beginning of the Term! But don't let my slow start put you off, I think you'll be hearing from me a lot this year because so much is happening in my little teacher techie world and I'm so excited to see what this year has in store - so much to learn and try and share! I think I'm in for a hectic, but awesome year!

Where do I start? There are so many cool tools to use this year, but here are my top picks!

​Some of the oldies I'll be continuing to use are:

• ClassDojo - Of course!!! My favourite behaviour management and parent communication tool, ClassDojo is an essential part of my classroom and there are so many new and useful features, it just keeps getting better and better. 
• Remind - After a trial run last year, this invaluable tool is now a staple in my classroom tech kit. I use it with my senior students and also with school clubs and groups I'm involved in to safely, privately, and easily keep in contact with students, parents, and other teachers. I also have a widget embedded in my Virtual Classrooms so students can always see my reminders and announcements. Love it!
• Doceri - Doceri works as a wireless whiteboard by connecting your iPad (or tablet) with a computer connected to a projector. You can also use it to create videos and presentations. I used Doceri a little last year, but I'm looking forward to using it more consistently and effectively this year. It can be a bit tricky to use at times, but I'm interested in learning more about flipped classrooms and this is a great tool for that.

Now here are some of the newbies I'm excited to try these in my classroom this year...

Socrative
This is one I'm probably most excited to use! This year we're busy implementing our BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program and, as expected, there have been a few bumps along the way that have inhibited the use of tools like Socrative, but things are starting to smooth out now and I can't wait to try this tool properly. Basically, Socrative is a quiz/polling/survey tool for use in classrooms with 1:1 devices. It's super simple to use, free, doesn't require student accounts, and so far it seems very reliable. It's fantastic for checking for understanding and I'm hoping it'll become a staple classroom tool for me.

PowToon
PowToon is another great flipped classroom tool and so fun. Students can also use it to create video projects, so it's not just a teacher tool. You can create fun video presentations using cartoon characters and effects, and you can also add audio elements. It's touted as an alternative to PowerPoint and Prezi, and while it may not completely replace these tried and tested tools, it certainly adds an element of interest and fun to the way you present information during lessons. 

So many fun, useful tools, it's no wonder I'm so excited about this year and all it has to offer.
Don't forget to click on the tech titles to find out more about how I use them (info will be updated soon) or click on the images to visit the individual sites. 

Enjoy Week 6!

Hey techie teachers! It's been a while since my last post so thought it was time for a catch-up!

I haven't trialled any new technology recently, but I can give you an update on both Remind and Plickers, which are relatively new tools for me in the classroom.

REMIND: So far parental involvement has been minimal, but the few who have signed up have responded positively and I've found it very useful in quickly and easily getting in touch about things like chasing up overdue assessment or keeping in touch when students have been out sick. 

Student involvement, however, has been greater and the kids have really responded well to the system. It's been great to see the accountability of students improve with the use of the app because they can easily ask questions outside of class time and I've been able to quickly remind students about upcoming or overdue assessment items or send information to students who have been away or sick so that they can work to stay on top of things.

PLICKERS: Really enjoying testing this tech tool and the kids seem to like it too so far. I've tested it occasionally in various classes and it's working well. With the help of our wonderful teacher aides I now have card sets for each class, which has made it so much quicker and easier to use this tool for quick formative assessment. We've just started new units for the Year 8s and 9s, so I think the next couple of weeks will be the perfect time to check to see how much of the new information they're retaining and understanding. 


Coming up this week I'll be presenting to some of the teachers at school about the technology tools I use to keep in touch with parents. This will be my first PD so I'm pretty nervous but excited! I'll be chatting about Weebly, ClassDojo, and Remind, then next week I'll be presenting at another PD all about ClassDojo. Love CD and can't wait to share such an awesome tool, hopefully some of my colleagues will find it as useful as I have!

If you're an Aussie teacher, good luck with the Term 3 madness, especially if you're a Qld high school teacher with Verification coming up. If you're overseas, enjoy the start of a new year and I hope you'll try out a few of these tech tools in your classroom this year!

Well it's the final weekend of the holidays and Term 3 is almost upon us! I woke up this morning and felt that familiar mix of dread, guilt, and stress burbling in my stomach. I'm not prepared enough, I haven't done enough, there were so many other things I was going to get ready, why can't we have another week?! But through all those thoughts, excitement bubbles its way to the surface and I think about all the new things I'm going to try with my classes this term, all the lessons I've learned that I can use to make this term even better than the last one, and seeing those smiling faces wanting to tell me excitedly what they did over the holidays. 

As a fairly new teacher, every day, every term, is a learning curve. I'm working out how to juggle everything and still remain sane... how to prepare effective and engaging lessons; how to get all the drafting and marking done in time when for some unfathomable reason almost all the English assessment for all grades is due pretty much AT THE SAME TIME; how to not let all the bureaucratic bullshizzle get you down; how to take time to really get to know my kids and help them grow and love learning; how to fit all the 'required' stuff into lessons and still make them enjoyable and creative; how to not let school take over my life and still spend quality time with my new husband; but most of all, despite all the stress and never-ending demands, how to keep that passion for and enjoyment of teaching and learning alive.  

So while that familiar little ball of dread makes its weight known as the holidays come to a close, the overarching feeling is one of excitement, and I'm content in the knowledge that I've finally found the right profession for me... teaching!

Welcome to my site, Mrs Caesar's Teacher Tech. I'm a second year high school English teacher in Queensland, Australia and recently I've been sharing a lot of technology related ideas and resources with colleagues, so I thought I'd create this site as a one-stop-shop of all the digital resources I use in my classroom. It's definitely a work in progress and I'll continue adding information and resources, so please check in from time to time to see what's new.

Please feel free to use or adapt any of the resources you find on this site and don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions.

I really hope you enjoy the site and find it useful!