5 Ways an iPad Mini Would Help Schools. It has been rumored that an announcement is imminent for the release of the long anticipated iPad Mini. The new info has tech blogs going crazy trying to determine functions and features that would put it to the top of the ‘Most Wanted’ list for tech enthusiasts. Here at Instructional Tech Talk, we love the buzz of new devices but also want to determine their use in the educational setting. Based on the rumored specs of the iPad Mini (see below if you are out of the loop), here are 6 ways that the unannounced iPad Mini would help schools.
Rumored Tech Specs:Screen Size: Smaller 7.85 in Retina DisplayAt least one cameraLightening ConnectorApple A5X processorLower PriceAt least Wi-Fi and Bluetooth – perhaps LTE #1 – Cost Less – Buy More It can only be assumed that a smaller device will carry a smaller price tag. The goal, as I understand, is to compete with the mid-sized tablets such as the Kindle Fire. . #2 – Compatible with your existing iPad inventory #3 – Size does matter #4 – Durability. Classroom Technology - Integration vs. Innovation.
Here’s the deal – and it is pretty straight forward… Those who integrate technology into the classroom are classroom technology integrators. Those who innovate the classroom using technology are classroom technology innovators. Catch the difference? It’s more than just the difference between the definition of integration and innovation. Integrator Technology integration is easy. Don’t get me wrong – it is still a step in the right direction, but integration of technology into the classroom by definition means that you will be bringing together previously developed technology and previously developed curricula. You know what is surprising?
Innovator It is not enough to be a technology integrator anymore. But was does that mean? That question is exactly what it means to be a technology innovator. It’s not easy – it is a challenge. I constantly say that technology for the sake of technology is not productive. It may sound as if I am coming down on technology integration.
About the Author. A Fun Way to Learn Anything with Memrise. I am constantly on the lookout for websites that provide the opportunity for learning to be fun and creative. This is definitely the case with Memrise – a website that offers various free courses (such as learning a language and allows you to create your own course/flashcards to help study as well. The team at Memrise focuses on three components to help commit the content to memory: Science “The first is Science. We’re obsessed with using brain science to help you learn faster. We use ‘mems’ to help you form vivid, sensory memories. Fun “We want to make learning your favorite playtime activity. So we’ve turned learning facts and language into a game where you grow a colorful garden of memory.
Community “We believe learning should be as rich and varied as the world you’re learning about. We believe that every learner is partly a teacher, and we hope that once you get started, you’ll soon be supplying little nuggets of wit and wisdom to help the rest of the community as they learn!” Transfer notes and files using ‘Self Destructible Text Notes’ I found this very simple site that allows you to share text notes or share attachments that automatically destroy themselves (delete) after viewing or downloading.
There is one distinct use I can think of for the classroom: students submitting work without the need to have an email address. As soon as the teacher downloads the document, the server deletes the online note. It seems like a pretty cool tool that educators will likely find some pretty great uses for – let me know what you come up with. Here is a quick screen shot of what it looks like: Enter your note, attach your file (if you want) and share the link. Here is the process, as defined by their website: 1. We Must Be Patient When We Play. I must admit – I can’t remember where I saw this quote – but it caught my eye enough to at least jot it down in my phone as it relates to something that I see as a problem technology has caused in our schools (and in our lives).
Don’t worry, it is entirely manageable and with some forethought it is something that can easily be prevented. If you’re anything like me you get giddy when you find a new instructional tech tool, website, app, device, etc., to the point that you immediately look for ways to incorporate it into your next lesson. I love the enthusiasm, but we have to think about our students. One new tool every week or two isn’t that extreme, right? We must be patient when we play. Talk with your colleagues, plan with your colleagues, learn with your colleagues. You can also decide a standard communication tool for your building that staff and students can become familiar with – whether that be something like Twitter, Remind101, Celly, or any social networking tool.
Facebook vs Education – Who Wins? I like to think that a large part of my day isn’t dedicated to roving the network looking for students that aren’t doing what they are supposed to be doing. The reality is that no matter what I am doing at my desk, the monitoring software is always running on one of my screens. More often than not I can look up and see someone on Facebook.
Let’s jump back a little and discuss why the social networking site isn’t blocked in our district. At one time, a couple years ago, it was blocked. Fights, bullying, rumors, threats. It is a scary reality for educators. Think of a text message or email you have sent to a friend or colleague that was intended to mean one thing but was taken completely differently. So what can you do as an Educator or parent? Educators: Block access to Facebook on the school network.Allowing access to Facebook on a school computer is like adding insult to injury. Tips for Parents: Believe me, there are many great uses of Facebook. Innovative Teaching and Learning with Khan Academy. I walked into work this morning and was immediately greeted by a co-worker saying, “We have to talk about 60 Minutes and Khan Academy.” Clearly I was one of the few individuals who didn’t see the episode as it was a topic of discussion around the building all day. I found some time to sit down and look through the website and information and I now see why it is such a talking point.
Another co-worker put it very eloquently. “So many things are created for the sake of simply using the technology. This is different, this has definite substance.” After reviewing the site and the goals of Salman Khan, the founder, I realize that this will revolutionize the way that students and non-students alike will consume material online. Khan Academy has already implemented a means for teachers to setup a ‘classroom’ on their site, which allows teachers to track student progress and highlights areas that will need to be reviewed in the classroom. Then the question arose, “What happens to the teacher? Facebook vs Education – Who Wins? Internet Filtering at Public Schools. “They let you access that site in your district?” When I attend conferences, this is a very commonly repeated phrase.
How can there be so many different policies regarding internet filtering? What is acceptable in one district should be acceptable in another, right? This is clearly not the case as there are probably as many internet use policies as there are districts in the country. And that is the way it should be. To understand the need or desire to filter internet access, we really need to look at differing policies and why these differences exist. Here are several instances that would require a different set of policies: Elementary only school districtHigh school only school districtUnit school district (K-12)Wealthy school districtEconomically depressed school districtDevices on the networkStaff vs Student access Of course, the list could go on. So, now for the crux of the issue. Yes. We are actually required to by law. Maybe. 1. 2. Block: Facebook.comUnblock: YouTube.com Do you agree?
Using Twitter in the Classroom. There is no doubt that Twitter has taken social networking by storm – providing users the opportunity to say what they need to in a quick burst of 160 characters or less. This has many practical applications, but what about education? Speaking from first hand experience, Twitter is an effective medium in the classroom. Here is how I utilized the service. 1. Create a ‘Classroom’ or ‘Teacher’ twitter handle. As an educator, you know it is probably a good idea to separate your personal self from your educator self. Daily homework log – tweet assignments and have students follow you to get constant updates on homework.Classroom reminders – “bring your book to class tomorrow” or “study chapter 1 tonight, test tomorrow” are ones that I remember using quite a bit.Sharing Links – the beauty of the internet is that there are literally thousands of articles and websites that relate to your content. 2.
What is a hashtag? A couple thoughts about hashtags: ITT 1 – TubeChop. ITT 2 – Recover Content from a Corrupt Word Doc. How To Published on April 9th, 2012 | by Jeff Herb It is pretty often that a student or staff member comes to my office desperately needing help with a file that Word seems to think is corrupt. There are several ways to attack this problem, but the easiest and most cost-effective is the following. 1. 2. 3. 4. 9 times out of ten, the file will open (although it may not be pretty) and you will be able to recover the word processed portions of the file. 5.
Tags: Instructional Tech Tips, Office, Troubleshooting, Word About the Author. ITT 3 – instaGrok. Once you get past the somewhat bizarre name, instaGrok will become your best friend. Designed to be the educational version of Google (so it seems), instaGrok allows users to search based on what they need/want to learn. Search results are displayed in graphical form, allowing you to see what other keywords are associated with your original search term. Here are a few awesome features of the site: finds age-appropriate content on any topic with interactive multimedia (if available)generates quiz questions based on student?
S research activity and skill levelsupports creation of research journals and concept maps for learning assessment I have been very impressed with instaGrok and it is likely that they will get snapped up by another search giant before too long. Let us know how you use instaGrok in your classroom! Tags: instaGrok, Instructional Tech Tips, Search, Websites About the Author. Students Like Social Media. ITT 4 – Extend your Desktop when Projecting. How To Published on April 10th, 2012 | by Jeff Herb Projectors and SMART Boards are great – they let you display all sorts of info via your computer with minimal difficulty. The only limitation is that what is displayed on your screen is displayed to the whole class – and sometimes that can be an annoying limitation.
Sometimes we need to enter attendance, grades, read an email, etc. – all of which shouldn’t be done publicly. Luckily, there is a way to set this up to allow for something to remain projected and still allow you to use your computer. It is called extended desktop and it is a feature on both Windows and Mac computers. Windows: Connect your projector.If you’re using Windows 7, this is very easy. Mac: Connect your projector.Mac laptops will mirror by default as soon as a projector is plugged in. Now, you are free to do other tasks while your students are working on an assignment.
Tags: Extended Desktop, Instructional Tech Tips, Mac, Productivity, Windows About the Author. ITT 5 – Use Rizzoma for Collaboration. ITT 6 – Embed YouTube Videos in a PowerPoint. (These are the exact instructions for Office 2007) It is very common for people to use a YouTube video as a reference during a presentation. Usually, that requires stopping the show, opening your browser, finding the right video, and then clicking play. The alternative is to embed the video directly in your slide. You can set the PowerPoint to automatically play the video when the slide becomes active, set the video to loop when it is over, and change the size of the video to fit your needs.
Luckily, the YouTube user maniactive has created a great video detailing how you can go about embedding the video directly into your PowerPoint. It is easy to do and will add a lot of professionalism to your presentation. Questions about the process? For those who prefer reading directions, here they are: Tags: Instructional Tech Tips, Presentations, YouTube About the Author. Quizlet – Quick eFlashcards.
Tl;dr: Quizlet is a flashcard-based education website that allows users to create, share, and study flashcards in various ways. And it’s free. For years I have used Quizlet and have been able to watch it grow from a fledgling website into a powerhouse of an educational tool that millions of people use constantly. With literally hundreds of millions flashcards created by users on the site, there is something for everyone likely already created. That is the beauty behind Quizlet. What it does: It allows users to study online by creating flashcards for their classes.
With over 6 million user-generated sets of flashcards, you can likely find a set of cards already created about your topic – just take a few minutes to search what is already available. There are study and game modules that work to help you retain the information from your flashcards. Flashcard Mode—Review your material, shuffle/randomize, or listen with audio. Speller Mode—Type what you hear in this audio-powered study mode.
Edmodo – Facebook for the Classroom. There comes a time when you just can’t stop the students desire to use Facebook. And why should you? It imbibes all the great things about a classroom (except for the ability to monitor students and ensure they are being scholarly instead of dastardly). Enter Edmodo.com – a Facebook-esque way to conduct your classroom. From setting up a group for your class, all the way to commenting on their posts (or submitted assignments), it feels just enough like Facebook to keep them interested – but is controlled enough for you to keep your job. The features that are included in Edmodo are really comprehensive, especially for a free service.
I use Edmodo in the classroom (and now at a district level) and have had nothing but success with it. Uses of Edmodo: Simple point of contact (that students actually like) for your classroom.Engage students in online discussion regarding talking points from your lessons. Features and Functionality: Tags: Content Management, Social Networking About the Author. Contact Students and Parents via Text or Email using Remind101.