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Matt Thaxter
Specialty Areas:
SMART, Lumio, Microsoft, Google, 3D printing, robotics, social studies, finance
About:
Matt is a former middle/high school social studies teacher, elementary teacher, and special education teacher, as well as an educational consultant and contest administrator for a multinational educational publication firm. He’s also an avid nerd for all things Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Marvel, and DC.
Google Classroom and Meet for Remote Learning
Using the power of Google Classroom, teachers can continue productivity for students and keep instruction going. Students can access content, complete assignments, and join conversations either synchronously or asynchronously. Along with Google Meet, teachers can keep students and parents up to date with assignments and announcements.
Google Workplace for Education Admin: Google Meet and Chat Permissions
In this video, we will walk through the process of setting permissions for Google Hangout Meet and Chat. This will be beneficial for Remote Learning environments or where students can work outside the brick-n-mortar setting.
Celebrating Biodiversity with Google Earth Activities
Let's explore the Earth's biodiversity through activities with Google Earth (whether online or downloaded)! These sample activities can show the diversity of climate and the diversity of the life that occupies different regions. We will even explore the human interaction with the environment and its impact on biodiversity.
Google Workspace for Education Admin: Assigning Admin Roles
What's the difference between Super Admin and Help Desk Admin? In the session, we will explore the different levels, and even create your own Admin levels!
Promoting Financial Literacy in the Secondary Classroom
Financial literacy (FL) should be an essential skill taught in the secondary education classroom. We will explore the concepts of FL and how to promote them within social science, economics, and mathematics settings. We will review tools and lesson ideas to teach the basics of money management, such as budgeting, saving, debt, investing, giving, and more. This knowledge lays a foundation for students to build strong money habits early on and avoid many of the mistakes that may lead to lifelong money struggles.
Serve Your School Community with Sora
We will explore the many features and benefits of Sora by OverDrive, including how it can be used to support literacy and learning in the classroom and beyond. We will also demonstrate how to get started with Sora, including how to sign in, borrow books, and customize your reading experience. Whether you are a teacher, librarian, or student, Sora by OverDrive is a must-have tool for anyone looking to discover and explore the world of digital reading.
Quick Tips for Elementary EdTech
EdTech can seem intimidating when you teach little learners, and so much EdTech professional development is seemingly geared towards older students. Come learn how to implement technology in your elementary classroom and thrive, not just survive, utilizing it! We'll talk routines, free resources, and how to implement technology to amp up your instruction to give your students unforgettable learning experiences.
Ashley is a lifelong learner who is passionate about analyzing data to create informed decisions, differentiating curriculum to meet student needs, and creating innovative pathways for students to grow and reach individualized goals. She is experienced in professional development creation and presentation, marketing products for EdTech platforms, and content-specific course creation for learning platforms.
Moving From Consumption to Creation
We often discuss engagement and students' active role in learning. If you looked at the classroom of the 50s, you would see desks in rows, a teacher in the front of the room doing most of the talking, books out on the desks, and students consuming the lesson. Should schools in 2023 follow this same model? The answer should be a resounding, very loud NO. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. In many of today’s classrooms, we continue to teach by delivering information that students are expected to consume. We can change this! This session will focus on tools and strategies to create active thinkers and learners.
Matt Joseph is currently the Director of Evaluation, Supervision, Mentoring and Hiring in Brockton Public Schools. He is the CEO of X-Factor EDU and the author of several books. He has held many positions in education from classroom teacher to principal; this has given him insight into how best to support teaching and learning. He writes articles for national publications and is a frequent speaker at state and national educational events as well as the president-elect of MASCD.
Building Inquiry-Based Instruction
In the standardized testing era, students are too often asked to memorize facts and/or recall ideas without being expected to retain a deeper understanding of the information. Depth in learning comes from focusing on critical thinking, evaluating information, and tapping into students’ intrinsic curiosity. This session is designed to support educators in creating inquiry-based lessons with a focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills, both of which enhance student performance in and out of the classroom. Applying and integrating inquiry-based lessons into instruction allows students to be independent learners and helps educators to increase the relevance of their lessons.
Matt Joseph is currently the Director of Evaluation, Supervision, Mentoring and Hiring in Brockton Public Schools. He is the CEO of X-Factor EDU and the author of several books. He has held many positions in education from classroom teacher to principal; this has given him insight into how best to support teaching and learning. He writes articles for national publications and is a frequent speaker at state and national educational events as well as the president-elect of MASCD.
Civics - Type of Elections: School Board Elections
As citizens and/or residents of our local communities, it’s important to understand the different types of elections that we have the right to participate in. As residents of a local school district, you have the right to vote how school budgets are enumerated and spent. School board elections and budget votes tend to vary between states and even local municipalities — join our session as we dig into the details!