3 DIY Science Projects Perfect For Project-Based Learning Elementary school science fairs and contests can be among the most interesting (and nerve wracking) experiences of our lives. We’re lucky to have those moments of hands-on, trial-by-fire learning. Because if it wasn’t for the shock of breaking glass with a tuning fork or the miracle of growing a stalk from a bean, those memories of surprise and discovery might slip away from us. And students nowadays are even luckier. Start at the Scientific Method One of the greatest lessons science projects instill in students is an understanding of the scientific method. One of the most effective means of teaching the scientific method and its importance to students is by having them complete a science project that allows them to observe how science works in an interactive way. Three Amazing DIY Science Projects By conducting a quick search online, or at your local library, any middle or high school student can discover a huge number of DIY science projects ideas. The Good Old Fashioned Volcano
The 20 Best Education Apps And Web Tools Of The Year The following is an excerpt from the December issue of Edudemic Magazine. Download the issue for just $.99 to view the full issue and the rest of the list! Stay tuned (or download the magazine) for the best devices of the year! In our year‐end special issue, we’ve worked hard at assembling the best of the best. It contains the best (in our opinion and what we’ve heard from educators around the world) resources you should know about. It’s the end of the year and that means you have a little extra time for the first time since summer. NOTE: These are in no particular order and the list is actually longer in the iPad Magazine. Evernote (Web, iOS, Android) Use it for: note taking/word processing, voice recording, photos (snapshots of teachers’s notes group work, etc), share work between teachers and students, organize and search all of your notes. Instapaper (Web, iOS, Android) Use it for: Creating ‘read it later’ bookmarks that can be accessed from any device.
StudyHall Is A New Peer-To-Peer Learning Platform StudyHall is a peer-to-peer learning platform for classmates to share and connect. StudyHall flips the traditional learning model, putting collaboration and productivity tools in the hands of students. Combining live interactive features with helpful question and answer course pages, StudyHall revives classroom discussion when students are back in the dorm room and in need of help. It’s a social academic platform that engages students and enhances the classroom experience. StudyHall is taking the populist approach to online education and creating a tool that is built only for students. StudyHall is a free, peer-to-peer learning platform for classmates to share and connect. Whether you are enrolled at Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Georgetown or sites like EdX and Coursera, StudyHall’s platform allows you to upload your notes and stay organized for free. Your courses are moving online, so why aren’t you?
10 Must-Have Apps For iPads In The Classroom My students love using their iPads in the classroom! iPads in the classroom provide student with the opportunity not to be restricted to the traditional way of learning. As a teacher, it is a wonderful feeling to see students being engaged and interacting in their learning. Since our school’s 1:1 iPad initiative in all Math and Science classrooms, I have become passionate about finding technology tools that will motivate and inspire my students to learn. The following is a list of free apps and websites that I have found that really motivates and inspires my students to be actively engaged in their learning. (1) Today’s Meet ~ A backchannel website that helps you connect with students in real time. (2) Corkboard.me ~ A website that allow students to collaborate in real time with the use of sticky notes on a board. (3) Study Blue ~ This app and website provide students with the opportunity to create online flashcards to use as review.
How One iPad App Changed An Entire School I have been wanting to write a post for a while about the amazing tool that we came across last year, that has truly changed the way we use iPads in our classrooms, but haven’t had a venue to do so. Now that I have my new website, I decided it was a must! If you aren’t familiar with this groundbreaking Nearpod iPad app , I want to take a minute to share it with you and explain how it changed our school. Nearpod is an App that allows teachers to share presentations; but wait, there’s more! Needless to say, it is a presenter’s dream come true. Starting Out With Nearpod I’ll never forget my first experience with Nearpod. At Pine Crest, we differentiate instruction, and the iPad is great for that, but we still also provide whole group instruction. Felipe came to me to share this revolutionary App and he walked me through the experience. Feedback Becomes Reality So, what are you using now that we suggested? Seeing this App grow from the very beginning has been a very rewarding experience.
The Teacher's Quick Guide To Digital Scavenger Hunts If you’ve got a smartphone or a tablet in your classroom, you’re ready for the adventure to begin! By adventure I mean, of course, the world of active learning through digital scavenger hunts. In this hunt, students are tasked with finding a particular physical object, person, or place and have to use technology to track it down. Note: an ‘online scavenger hunt’ usually implies that you’re hunting around online and not physically with classmates. For the purpose of this article, I’m focusing on the physical version I’ve dubbed ‘digital scavenger hunts’. The Simple Goal So now that you’re all ready to start your very first scavenger hunt, let’s figure out what the goals are. Finding The Technology Like the movie National Treasure, students will need a lot of ingenuity and tools to help them uncover the mysteries you’ve laid out before them. In an effort to get your scavenger hunt jump-started, here are a few useful tech tools that might be of use. Finding An Objective A Quick Note
40 Useful Tips For Anyone Taking A MOOC As these resources have grown in number and the list of institutions providing them has become ever more prestigious, free online courses are gaining legitimacy with employers as a method of learning valuable job skills. While there’s still a long way to go in terms of acceptance, more and more employers are recognizing the value of cheap, effective educational programs that can keep employees up-to-date and engaged in their field without spending a dime. Whether you’re looking to online education for personal reasons or to get ahead in your career, use these tips to help you get more out of open courses and use what you learn to market yourself, improve your performance, and stand out on the job. Treat them like real classes .
A Roadmap For Successful Education App Development 10 Ways To Become A Better Online Learner 8.34K Views 0 Likes There are some quick and easy ways to become a better online learner. Whether you're taking a class or just researching, here are the DOs and DON'Ts. 6 Quick Tips To Make The Most Of Graduate School Graduating Student Assistants Reception. If you’re interested in becoming a teacher or pursuing graduate school in general, it’s important to understand what it takes and what the payoff is. Sure, you can have a positive influence on others and all that jazz … but what does it actually take to graduate? Don’t Change What Works for You Some people get off track and start to panic because they think that everything about graduate school will be different from anything they’ve ever done before. Study Aids Think about the specific study aids that you used then, and adapt them for the different requirements of graduate school. See Also: The Edudemic Online College Guide These can be really helpful if you find yourself feeling flustered as you try to copy down what your professors say during a lecture, and can also make it easier to decipher anything that initially seemed unclear. Immerse Yourself as Much as Possible Traditional vs Online School Respect Your Professors Become A Rock Star
5 Free Android Apps That Will Help You Study Whether you’re in a BYOD classroom or just happen to have an Android device at home, it’s useful to know which apps are being used in classrooms right now. When it comes to free Android apps, the selection may be a bit smaller than Apple’s iOS but the quality is still top notch. If you’re looking to improve your study habits, take advantage of your smartphone sitting on your desk, or just interested in learning more about the Android operating system, these are few of my favorite apps that I’ve tested out and found to be quite useful. An important note: every single student / teacher / person learns differently. You may hate all or some of these apps. Andie Graph : In what may be the silliest but smartest decisions, the Andie Graph app actually looks exactly like your trusty old TI-83 calculator. Study Checker : Do you suffer from Study ADD? Speed Reading Trainer : While not useful for everyone, speed reading is a fun activity to try out if you’re so inclined.
Fruitiny Is The First Real-Time Memory Game. Probably. Remember the game Memory? If you can’t even remember the game, then you may want to start dusting off the mental cobwebs and exploring new ways to boost your brain. What better way than with a vintage-style but highly useful app? That’s the idea behind Fruitiny , a new app from Totano Corp. His first foray into apps is Fruitiny and it’s a charmingly simple yet deceivingly difficult memory game that uses cute fruit and classic design to keep you playing. According to Briano, the whole game is a tribute to Fukio Mitsuji (designer of Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands) and the Japanese golden age of video games. Get The App Apple App Store (Fruitiny) – $0.99 Apple App Store (Fruitiny Lite) – Free Key Features Of Fruitiny - A simple yet unique gameplay, reminiscent of card games of the past. - A vintage tone in graphics, with those bright colors which made you smile. - A poppy soundtrack which sticks in your head forever. - Endless round variations and hidden game modes to unlock.
46 Education App Review Sites For Teachers And Students We try our best to keep our thumb on the pulse of the best education apps and web tools. In fact, we have probably spent way too much time attempting to offer up as many useful product reviews and helpful lists over the past several years. But we’re just two people. Katie and I can’t cover the entire education app industry by ourselves. Luckily, there are dozens of other sites specifically devoted to education app reviews for teachers and students. Whether you’re looking to find the best interactive whiteboard app, a new way to deliver exit slips, or simply a fun educational game that can be used in your classroom tomorrow, these app review sites are definitely your go-to source.
3 Reasons To Start Using Phones In Your Class It used to be that the sight of a phone in class, not even mentioning an annoying ringtone (!), was against the rules. Fighting the phone became a constant battle. Then one day I decided to stop fighting and embrace the phone. And an amazing thing happened. It has ceased to be a contentious object and is now a ubiquitous one – just as it is in many student’s lives. My phone rule: Your phone is out on the desk, upside down unless being used. As a Language Resource – There are so many dictionary apps out there that our class readily promotes the good ones. Demonstrating Knowledge – I teach a language and in the past we might look to writing alone, or presentations to show understanding. Class Discussion Tool – The phone has really improved the ability and desire of kids to participate in in-class discussion. I haven’t branched out into polling, collaborative presentations and the myriad of other uses that a smartphone has as I’m aware that not all kids possess this technology. Colleen