iPurpose before iPad

The two above images are good examples of purposeful thinking about iPad usage in schools. One, a screenshot of an oft-used tool known as iPad As.. by edtechteacher.org, focuses on what the iPad can be used for and provides links to various apps that can be utilised for those functions. It goes without saying that it is a very useful website for schools thinking about iPads. The other, The Padagogy Wheel, is one of many variations on applying Bloom’s Taxonomy of skills to iPad apps. Both tools have supported my reflection on iPad use in school and are worth checking out in detail. The Padagogy Wheel provides many links between skills and tech activities but doesn’t really address what iPad apps address which skills and activities specifically other than lumping them into a particular category. Which leads me to attempt a herculean task… I’m going to try to blend the best of both of these resources and address the short falls I have mentioned by creating my own resource.

101 Web 2.0 Teaching Tools Online tools and resources have made it easier for teachers to instruct students, and for students to collaborate with those teachers and with other students and parents. These “Web 2.0” teaching tools aren’t magical, but they may seem to defy definition at times since they save time, help you to stay organized, and often take up little space on a computer. Some of these applications are Web-based, which means that they can be accessed from any computer. The following list is filled with tools that will make a teacher’s, or those enrolled in the best online education programs, life easier. The categories are listed in alphabetical order and the links to each tool are also listed alphabetically within those categories. Aggregators The following list includes free tools that you can use to stay on top of current events, including headlines and blogs. Aggie: Aggie is an open source news aggregator that’s also a desktop application. Bookmark Managers Classroom Tools Collaboration E-learning

The Digital Curriculum Part 2… Eight Amazing Free Digital Curriculum Resources… Time to Explore Everyone is talking about a digital curriculum free of those hard copy textbooks that have been a part of schooling since the advent of the one room schoolhouse. This is the second post in a series devoted to investigating resources that can open up a world of digital curricula. First, your subscriptions mean a lot to me so sign up by RSS or email! As educators begin to distance themselves from the traditional textbook there is more and more need to find digital alternatives. While many educators have been moving the textbook from the center, other find it not quite as easy of a task. 1. As the site states… watch, practice… learn almost anything. 2. BLOSSOMS video lessons are enriching students’ learning experiences in high school classrooms for students across the globe. 3. This is the community of K12 open resources. 5. This amazing resource claims to be teaching with the power of media. To begin, you will wish to create a free educator account at HippoCampus. 6. 7. 8. Like this:

cooltoolsforschools - home 20 Google Docs Secrets for busy teachers and students. Google Docs has revolutionised the way we create and edit content on the web. It is a genuine collaboration tool like nothing that has come before it. Up to 50 people can simultaneously edit a spreadsheet, presentation or document at no expense, and it is available on all mobile and desktop platforms. Today we are going to look at 20 great tips every teacher and student should be using to get the most of the collaborative learning opportunities Google Doc’s offers. Allow editing without signing in: If you’re sharing a document with classmates who don’t have a Google login, just make it available to edit without signing in. Chat away: In Google Docs, you can see anyone who is currently editing the document, and if needed, send a message to chat with them. Embed Docs anywhere: Get a link to your document or spreadsheet, and you can embed or publish it anywhere, including Facebook or a class blog. Create graphs: Visuals are great tools for getting your point across.