News and reviews of children's interactive media

Build an awesome class website with Google Apps Let’s face it: Teachers can use all the help we can get. To have the most impact, we need to form partnerships with those other educators who spend even more time with our students than we do — their parents. Parents haven’t always been welcome in schools as partners. In the past, many students’ lives were segregated into two distinct realms: school and home. But in today’s always-on, 24/7 learning environment, that dynamic is changing. In the Mankato (Minnesota) Area Public Schools, we believe that teachers should share everything about their classroom with parents. One of the most efficient ways we have found for teachers to develop a culture of transparency and trust is by communicating with parents through a class website. Class websites 101 Since our district signed up for Google Apps for Education in 2010, our staff has been able to easily post class information online and organize it so that both students and parents can find and understand it. Start with a Google Site.

SOFTWARE EVALUATION RUBRIC Title: ___________________________________________ Publisher: _______________________________________ Date of copyright: _________________________________ Version: ________________________________________ Cost: ___________________________________________ Hardware: _______________________________________ Memory: ________________________________________ Subject areas: ____________________________________ Grade Levels: ____________________________________ Delivery Methods: ____ lessons/ tutorial _ ____ drill & practice _____ review _____ simulation _____ testing ____ game _ ____ discovery _____ problem-solving _____ application Rating: 0-5 (0=not included or component is far below standard 5=exemplary) Content Ease of Use Support Materials Technical quality: Assessment Strengths: Weaknesses: Comments: Resources adapted from: - Software Evaluation by Dr.

Top 100 Sites & Apps of 2014 Well, it's that time of year again for my favorite and most robust list on the top 100 Sites/Apps of the year. As with the previous year's list, more and more mobile apps are making the list as mobile learning continues to be the rising trend in education. However, that's not to say that there aren't plenty of websites and Learning Management Systems showing up as well. Finally, any site or app that was in a previous year's list will not be in this one. * mobile app Been for Education - Innovative site for social learning that allows educators to surf and collaborate on the web with their students in a safe environment where educators create/manage student accounts.* Otus - A fantastic and easy to use 1:1 learning solution for mobile classrooms (i.e iPads/Chromebooks).

Home » TextProject Apps Sign up for a YogiPlay Parent Center Account* Sign Up Now! *you can also do this from within any YogiPlay-boosted app From your Parent Center, access these great benefits Get great insight… Find out how long your kids are playing with apps How much time are they spending on educational apps? App recommendations.. Based on your children’s progress You get custom, age-appropriate app recommendations based on their favorite appsNOT generic recommendations based only on age Motivate your children! Kids get to play in YogiWorld Kids earn points by progressing through YogiPlay-boosted appsThey can redeem these points to play with cute virtual pets in YogiWorld! Know what your kids’ favorite apps are What type of educational apps are they playing with? Screened by educational experts App recommendations are chosen by our educational experts, who have more than 100 years experience behind them! Get custom reports for each child Children get to play as themselvesYou get to see their individual progress!

Overview - Welcome to Flubaroo The grades created by Flubaroo will be located in an adjacent worksheet called "Grades", as shown: For each submission, Flubaroo will show which questions were answered correctly ("1" point"), which incorrectly ("0" points), and which were not graded. If less than 60% of students got a question correct, the question will be highlighted in orange to alert you. Additionally, students who scored less than 70% on the assignment will be highlighted in red. The Flubaroo menu will now offer you the ability to email each student their grades, view a summary report, or regrade the assignment. If you choose to email each student their grade, you'll be given the option to include an answer key in the email. Choosing "View Report" shows you a summary report of the grading. Want to try it out?

About SGTC Rating Form The 10 iOS Apps You've Never Heard Of (But Should Use) Apps keep this mobile world rolling along, and they play a vital role in helping small business owners stay effective and competitive while on the road. With 1.2 million apps in Apple’s iTunes store, there are plenty of unsung heroes—apps that are worth your while, but most likely have escaped your attention. The following are 10 lesser-known iOS apps that I use regularly, both in my small business as well as for personal reasons. I list them here in alphabetical order. GorillaCam This free camera app combines two great features: (1) a self-timer with countdown notification for selfies or group shots (with your iPhone on a tripod); and (2) a time lapse mode, which lets you take a series of shots one after the other. PaperKarma Liberate your mailbox from unwanted catalogs and other junk with this free app. Figure 1: PaperKarma Postagram This free app lets you snap a photo or use one from your iOS camera roll and turn it into a postcard that’s sent via snail mail to one or more recipients.

Ways to Evaluate Educational Apps I am conducting a series of workshops in Florida and was asked to share a rubric to help teachers evaluate educational apps as part of the workshop. In 2010 Harry Walker developed a rubric, and I used his rubric (with some modifications by Kathy Schrock) as the basis for mine. (Read Harry Walker's paper Evaluating the Effectiveness of Apps for Mobile Devices.) I kept in mind that some apps are used to practice a discrete skill or present information just one time. Others are creative apps that a learner may use again and again, so it's a challenge to craft a rubric that can be used for a wide span of purposes. My rubric also emphasizes the ability to customize content or settings and how the app encourages the use of higher order thinking skills. Here's what I chose to spotlight in my rubric: Relevance The app’s focus has a strong connection to the purpose for the app and appropriate for the student Customization Feedback Student is provided specific feedback Thinking Skills Engagement Sharing

Common Sense Media Workshops | CUE Students grow up in a digital world with the potential for communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creation. Yet schools face challenges concerning behavioral and ethical issues that arise from students’ use of technology, such as cyberbullying, inappropriate sharing, and plagiarism. Digital citizenship is an essential 21st-century skill that guides students to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly in our digital world. Not only is digital citizenship an essential component of any school’s technology program, it’s also necessary for CIPA compliance and schools receiving E-rate funding. In this workshop, participants will learn about essential skills for digital citizenship, how to teach students these skills, and how to create a positive school culture around technology. CUE provides workshops on Common Sense Media’s Digital Citizenship programs. Request Form For more information about workshops from Common Sense Media, contact:

Evaluation of software Common Sense Media Certified Educator "I'm inspired to teach digital citizenship and become a Common Sense Digital Citizenship Certified Educator because I see the excitement, engagement, and passion from my students when using technology in a way that is safe and enhances their individual learning experiences." Nicole Swick, Common Sense Certified Educator, CICS West Belden Charter School, Ill. Being a Common Sense Certified Educator is an official stamp of recognition from Common Sense. Once certified, you'll receive a digital badge that you can put in your email signature (among other places) so others know about your efforts, and it's a great addition to your résumé. If you give permission, Common Sense Education also will list your name and school on our website. Last, but not least, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you've helped your students develop essential skills to learn and thrive in the 21st century.

Complete Guide to educational and special needs apps, complete list at One Place for Special Needs Complete guide to educational and special needs apps With over 300,000 apps it's easy to become overwhelmed by the number of app choices. It's also easy to spend a small fortune on a lot of useless apps. As a special needs parent I wanted to get right to the "good stuff" and figured you did too. Check out our guide that breaks down the best of the apps by skill set so you can easily find and buy apps that most benefit your child. by Dawn Villarreal, One Place for Special Needs Android apps (all) Android does not have the nice interface of iTunes for viewing apps on the Internet as opposed to your device. Aphasia appsApps specific to those with aphasia Apraxia appsApps specific to those with Childhood Apraxia of Speech Articulation appsApps that focus on articulation. Assistive technology apps Here are a variety of assistive technology apps employing voice recognition, text to speech, easy to use technology for impaired motor abilities. Autism appsApps specific to those on the autism spectrum

eHandouts eHandouts SLATE Materials Intel Education: Powering Up the Promise of Digital Learning >> Visual Ranking Teacher Guide >> Mobile Scenarios forr K-12 >> Online Collaborative Tools >> Intel Elements Support Resources and Websites >> Intel Teach Elements What Would you Like To Create Today with iPad Technologies >> Master Presentation >> List of Apps for Students with Autism >> Naomi Harm’s iPad Educational Apps List >> Student Job Task Cards >> Apptivities Design on a Dime: Flipping your Instructional Learning Spaces >> Backchannel Chat