Video Conferencing from the Classroom Talk to and write with a well-known author. Visit the zoo and learn about endangered species. Immerse yourself in Mardi Gras tradition with students and teachers who live in New Orleans. All from the comfort of your classroom or computer lab. Though this sounds like an ad for a travel agency (or maybe just a teacher’s dream field-trip list), all of this can be accomplished through the power of video conferencing: a tool relatively new to our school, yet incredibly useful in expanding the classroom beyond the confines of its physical walls. Video conferencing for a more connected classroom When I think about what it means to be a connected educator, my mind begins to wonder what I can do to better myself as a learner and a teacher by networking with fellow teachers. My urge to share also grows out of my wondering about how the knowledge and relationships I develop as a connected professional can assist me in cultivating connected students — connected learners. So, how do I get going?
Lights, Camera, Learn: SchoolTube Strives to Be YouTube for K-12 Education Can sharing facts you learn in class be as fun as sharing the latest “Call Me Maybe” parody on YouTube? That’s what SchoolTube says. The free website claims to be “the nation’s largest teacher-moderated K-12 video-sharing website” — think of it as YouTube for the education set. Teachers and students can upload videos that they produce, from a lesson on quadratic equations to “Call That Safety,” a “Call Me Maybe” parody about science lab safety. Since father and son Carl Arizpe, 53, and Andrew Arizpe, 27, established the St. (MORE: Schools Test ‘Bring Your Own Technology’ Programs) YouTube boasts an entire section of educational videos called YouTube EDU — but some schools block the video-sharing tool because of the explicit content on other parts of the site. The site has also worked with the Red Cross and the NFL to challenge students to produce online videos about various safety and exercise topics. (MORE: Schools Embrace Mobile Phones) The school’s Enrichment teacher Steven R.
50 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom Many critics of Twitter believe that the 140-character microblog offered by the ubiquitous social network can do little for the education industry. They are wrong. K-12 teachers have taken advantage of Twitter’s format to keep their classes engaged and up-to-date on the latest technologies. The following projects provide you and your students with 50 ways to Twitter in the classroom to create important and lasting lessons. 1. One of the simplest ways that teachers can use Twitter in the classroom involves setting up a feed dedicated exclusively to due dates, tests or quizzes. 2. Subscribe to different mainstream and independent news feeds with different biases as a way to compare and contrast how different perspectives interpret current events and issues. 3. Set up an interesting assignment requesting that students set up Twitter for education lists following feeds relevant to their career goals and keep a daily journal on any trends that crop up along the way. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Moving to the cloud: how wrong can you be? Three years ago, in my first term after moving to a new school, I was told by an administrator that cloud computing would fail. Another administrator mentioned at a parent meeting that he didn't believe in a 1:1 programme because there was no evidence that technology enhanced learning. Alarm bells started to ring. I knew I'd made a bad move and was in the wrong place. Two years ago, after becoming a Google Certified Teacher I wanted to introduce Google Apps for Education at the school. One year ago, in the first month of school, I announced on social media that I was looking for a new job. How wrong can some people, some schools be? Here's an interesting infographic about going to the cloud from Online Colleges. From: OnlineColleges.net Photo Credit: Bowl of Clouds by Kevin Dooley, 2008
9 Creative Storytelling Tools That Will Make You Wish You Were A Student Again Learning Apps & Tools | Feature 9 Creative Storytelling Tools That Will Make You Wish You Were A Student Again By Kim Fortson10/22/12 For many students, writing a novel summary is not exactly a glamorous assignment. In lieu of standard re-caps, Granger asks his students to create Meographs, four-dimensional narratives that contextualize stories using maps to provide time and place references to original content. T.H.E. According to Bellow, students can share these stories with, at the very least, their peers, but also with friends and family and on social networks, “So there’s a real audience out there who can find their stories as well.” 1. 2. 3.
Minneapolis autism teachers “blown away" by new classroom technology Hans Glocker says it makes his grandmother Liz proud that he can use academic software on his own. (Photo by Alleen Brown) Four coins appeared in a box on a computer screen. Hans Glocker, a Sanford middle school student with autism, calculated the coins’ total, then chose the right value out of three listed. A cascade of bubbles appeared on the screen, making plinking sounds as they popped. “That is a great motivator,” said Hans’ teacher Janet Macdonald. The coin activity looked like any ordinary computer math game, but its images, sounds and reinforcers make academic content accessible to a kid like Hans in a way a pen and paper never will be. “I can’t stand up here and teach from a textbook,” said MacDonald. SMART boards, iPads and other techy devices are creeping into classrooms around Minnesota. In Minneapolis, teachers and administrators are calling a program named Vizzle an example of how technology can revolutionize special education classrooms. What it is Facilitating independence
Tips for Augmenting Whole-Class Discussions with Collaborize Technology can enhance academic conversations, says Anna Des Roches, a community development officer for Collaborize Classroom. The American Association of School Librarians (AALS) agrees, naming Collaborize one of the "Top 25 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning in 2012." Blake Wiggs, a history and language arts teacher in North Carolina, often uses Collaborize to efficiently "organize classroom participants and sort their contribution to the discussion." He likes that he can integrate audio or video clips and widgets into the discussion pages. Nico Saldana, a high school world history teacher, uses Collaborize to increase student participation: "Nobody can check out of a conversation because everyone is writing." Collaborize: The Basics The free online Collaborize Classroom platform allows teachers to create password-protected multi-media discussion prompts in a couple minutes and has iPad and iPhone apps available. Four Discussion Types on Collaborize Credit: Collaborize Classroom
14 Edtech Integration Tips & 20+ Resources for the School Year 4th post in a new series: PLN Tips 4 Teachers and Goal 17: Integrate Technology Effectively of The 30 Goals Challenge for Educators “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.” ~ Bill Gates I have been integrating technology with students since 1997. Maybe you’re new to integrating technology or just need a few pointers. More Tips & 20+ Resources Beyond the first tip of connecting online and learning from other educators, I offer the following tips from my PLN, which are in no particular order: Tip: Assess if you need to use the technology. Tip: Have a back-up plan in case the Internet doesn’t work. Tip: Get ideas from other teachers. Tom Barrett’s Interesting Ways Tip: Make sure the technology supports higher order thinking skills and learning objectives. Kelly’s Peacock Digital Blooms Tip: Determine which is the best technology that will support that lesson. Tip: Prepare, get the knowledge, and reflect!