#handsonlearning – Page 3 – Bearded Tech-Ed Guy

SPS Digital Learning Hour Featuring Middle School Educators

February 3, 2022 Mike Thomas

For this weeks episode we dive into a three part series featuring our Middle School Computer Science Students, Teachers, and Principals. I met with a few of our excellent Middle School teachers for this episode. I talked with Melissa Zeitz of Alfred G Zanetti Montessori School, Alva Laster, Jamie Carens and Gary Burgess of STEM Middle Academy and Lia Ashe Simmer of Kiley Prep Middle School. These teachers are are leading the way in bringing a great computer science curriculum…

Read More Read More

SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Middle School Principal

January 7, 2022 Mike Thomas

For this weeks episode we dive into a three part series featuring our Middle School Computer Science Students, Teachers, and Principals. I met with three of our principals for this episode. I talked with Principals Tara Clark of Alfred G Zanetti Montessori School, Luis Martinez of STEM Middle Academy and Julia St. Martin of Kiley Prep Middle School. These principals are are leading the way in bringing a unified computer science curriculum to our great middle schools, these interviews are…

Read More Read More

SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Dr. T. Alan Bush

December 20, 2021 Mike Thomas

For our latest episode I met with Dr. T. Alan Bush, the Dean of Student at Kiley Prep, and former Middle School Science Teacher at John F. Kennedy Middle School. We had an enjoyable conversation on how Science and Math are connected and how that can help your students. You’ll also hear my dad joke about math, feel free to adjust and use it. I was thinking about summer when I came up with it. You’ll also hear a great…

Read More Read More

Top 5 PowerPoint Update!

December 15, 2021 Mike Thomas

If you checked out the last blog post, you know that we are going through a bunch of updates that you might not have heard about regarding the main tools that we use here in Springfield. This week we are looking at PowerPoint and how amazing that it is. I’m not blowing smoke at you. When you check out these updates or Top 5s you will be amazed! Presenter Coach Improvements I cannot tell you how much I love the…

Read More Read More

Episode 111: Joanna Mineo

November 12, 2021 Mike Thomas

In this week’s podcast episode, I met with Joanna Mineo from Brightwood Elementary School here in Springfield. Joanna is a newish to the teaching world, having graduated a few years ago and now she is doing a fantastic job teaching. Check out to hear all about her experiences as a new teacher and learning how to teach during COVID. Plus, you’ll have to check out how Joanna likes to take care of herself. Tools mentioned: PowerPoint Flipgrid Nearpod Schoology You…

Read More Read More

Mike’s Top 6 Microsoft Word Updates

November 5, 2021 Mike Thomas

I love fall, while fall means summer is wrapping up (which I don’t love) it means that all our favorite systems get some fancy updates! This will kick off a whole series of posts about the main tools we use and the updates they get. The first one of those systems that we will explore is Microsoft Word. Word has come a long way from when I was using it in high school. Every year updates come to Word but, as a teacher, I think this is the best year yet. We are going to look at my Top 6 new…

Read More Read More

My, Oh My! Welcome to the New Year!

October 15, 2021 Mike Thomas

I know I ended last year with a quote from a Michelle Branch song, and it is only fitting that we start the year off with one too! This one happens to be from when she formed a band called “The Wreckers” with Jessica Harp. This band, for their time, was awesome and I still listen to the live album all the time. My, Oh My Look How the Time Flied For many of you the summer was a welcomed reprieve from the hard school year. You took solace in knowing that we have made…

Read More Read More

SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Erin Demarest

October 8, 2021 Mike Thomas

Welcome Back to the 2021-2022 School Year. To kick off this year’s podcast we meet with Erin Demarest from Milton Bradley Elementary School here in Springfield. During our conversation you can hear all about what it was like to teach 2nd grade and then how she made the move to Springfield’s new CS/TC teacher position. This position was created this school year to ensure that Computer Science is taught at all grade levels here in Springfield. As you listen to…

Read More Read More

Wrapping Up the 2020 – 2021 School Year

June 21, 2021 Mike Thomas

We made it! The end is near, and we can all take a collective sigh of relief that we have done the best we could. I am reminded of a song by Michelle Branch called “Breathe”. A couple of lines from the song really resonated with me over this past year and a half. While I know the song is not about being a schoolteacher (I’m pretty sure the song is about unrequited love although you might feel that way about your school year) heck the song is almost 20 years old, but the phrasing of these words resonated with me. For…

Read More Read More

SPS Digital Learning Hour featuring Kathryn Chace

June 10, 2021 Mike Thomas

In the penultimate episodes of the 2020-2021 for the SPS Digital Learning hour, I interviewed Kathryn Chace from Springfield Conservatory of the Arts Middle and High School. She is an Instructional Leader and an AP Statistics teacher. Throughout many of her years teaching Kathryn always seemed to be a step ahead with Technology, you might even say she was an EdTech DIYer (not sure if that’s a thing but it’s a great way to explain her mindset). Being a part…

Read More Read More