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Free iPad Apps to Teach Current Events

Free iPad Apps to Teach Current Events
My students use their iPads as creators every day, whether they are recording their thoughts, using virtual tools or publishing authentic assessments. Content can be both created and consumed using an iPad, and my students take on both roles. There are abundant resources for content consumption, and these apps can be used to teach current events. Many schools are increasing their use of informational and multimedia texts in order to align their instruction to the Common Core Learning Standards. Watchup This app is in my top ten for personal use, and it has a clear place in your classroom. SnagFilms There are lots of ways to introduce current events into your classroom, and documentary films can be a powerful tool. One reason I love the NPR app is the multiple ways to access multimedia informational text. NBC Nightly News Whatever your "go-to" network is for the evening news, the NBC Nightly News app is worth checking out. TED Talks

7 Habits Of Highly-Effective Teachers Who Effectively Use Technology 7 Characteristics Of Teachers Who Effectively Use Technology by TeachThought Staff Ed note: This post has been updated with an updated visual from Sylvia Duckworth, who took our graphic from alwaysprepped.com (now getalma) post and created the above visual. It is also sporting a new title, as the “habits of” is a trademarked term. In most ways, teachers that use technology in the classroom aren’t much different than those that don’t. Any teacher worth their salt assesses, and then revises planned instruction based on data from those assessments. They manage their classroom in a way that works for them, create a positive learning environment, and (great teachers especially) collaborate with a variety of stakeholders to make sure every humanly possible attempt is made to meet all students need. They care about learning more than tools, people more than curriculum, and questions more than answers. 7 Characteristics Of Teachers Who Effectively Use Technology 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

17 Free Tools for Creating Screen Capture Images and Videos When you're trying to teach people how to do something new on their computers having screencast videos or annotated screen capture images can be invaluable to you and the people you're trying to help. Here are some free tools that you can use to create screen capture videos and images. Vessenger, producers of a group messaging system, offers a free program for capturing and annotating images on your computer screen. The free program, called Snaplr, is available for Windows and Mac. With Snaplr installed you can capture all or part of your screen. Using the print screen key on your PC or "command+shift+4" on your Mac are easy ways to create a screen capture. Monosnap is a new, free screen capture tool for Mac and Windows. Szoter is a free online tool for annotating images that are stored on your computer. Explain and Send is a free Chrome extension that I have just installed in my browser. Pixlr offers a large set of image creation and editing tools.

iPad Curriculum 4 Stages: The Integration Of Technology In Learning The 4 Stages Of The Integration Of Technology In Learning by Terry Heick For professional development around this idea or others you read about on TeachThought, contact us. Technology can be used in the learning process in a variety of ways. Some are supplementary, serving the original design of the classroom and usually automate some previously by-human task or process–grading multiple choice assessments, searching for a source of information, or sharing messages and other data across large groups. But fully integrated and embedded in the learning process, technology can be transformative–and disruptive. Scaffolding the learning of anything unfamiliar–somehow–is a way of supporting the learner and setting them up for long-term independent success. Should elementary school be stage 1, middle school stage 2, and so on? Should all learners begin a school year at stage 1 and move as far as they can towards stage 4? Can a planned learning experience be evaluated using this framework in mind?

The Evolution of Classroom Technology Classrooms have come a long way. There’s been an exponential growth in educational technology advancement over the past few years. From overhead projectors to iPads, it’s important to understand not only what’s coming next but also where it all started. We’ve certainly come a long way but some things seem hauntingly similar to many years ago. Also in 1925, there were “schools of the air” that delivered lessons to millions of students simultaneously. Here’s a brief look at the evolution of classroom technology. c. 1650 – The Horn-Book Wooden paddles with printed lessons were popular in the colonial era. c. 1850 – 1870 – Ferule This is a pointer and also a corporal punishment device. 1870 – Magic Lantern The precursor to a slide projector, the ‘magic lantern’ projected images printed on glass plates and showed them in darkened rooms to students. c. 1890 – School Slate c. 1890 – Chalkboard c. 1900 – Pencil c. 1905 – Stereoscope c. 1925 – Film Projector c. 1925 – Radio c. 1930 – Overhead Projector

10 Lessons From the Best District in the Country By Elizabeth F. Farrell If they haven’t been tossed already, textbooks at Mooresville Graded School District sit unused, piled in corners of classrooms. Desks are no longer neatly arranged in rows, and students rarely sit quietly and listen to extended lectures. At Mooresville, 20 miles outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, this is the new norm. Results of this transformation are off the charts—the graduation rate for African-American students was 95 percent in 2012, up from 67 percent five years earlier. Mark Edwards has spearheaded the digital conversion since taking over as superintendent in 2007. “Ninety percent of our visitors come here talking about hardware and leave talking about culture. The success of the eight-school, 5,600-student district has earned it numerous accolades—Edwards spoke on a White House panel and was named AASA’s Superintendent of the Year in February. 1. “It took a good two years to build a firm foundation,” says Edwards. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

12 Tech Tools That Will Transform The Way You Teach! In a Simple K12 blog post titled “17 Signs Your Classroom is Behind the Times” they provide a list of things that characterize a classroom that has fallen behind. Number 16 lists a variety of technology tools that every educator should know about. As I read the list, I realized that although many teachers are interested in and excited about technology integration, they are too busy to explore all the new technology tools available online. This blog post is dedicated to all of the overworked teachers who just don’t have the time to seek out this information. I have provided brief explanations, links to and pictures of the tools mentioned by Simple K12 (and a couple of my favorites). I hope this makes it more manageable for teachers to pick and choose which tools they want to use. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. [Note: StoryJumper is another online digital storybook maker worth checking out!] 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Motivational and Inspirational Quotes 10 Internet Technologies Educators Should Be Informed About – 2011 Update These Technologies Are Changing Education. Are You Familiar With Them? It’s been nearly two and half years since the publication of the first “10 internet technologies that educators should be informed about” article on this site and given the fast paced evolution of technology it’s time for an update. The start of new school year is the perfect time to refresh this list! Below you will find updated information for 5 of the technologies from the original posting, and 5 new technologies that have earned their rightful place in the list (displacing 5 other types of tech, that while still worthy, are not quite as relevant today, IMHO). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Another important education technology trend is the exploding use of mobile devices. Well, there you have it – ten technologies that teachers, administrators, and educational technologists should be keeping an eye on and considering for their schools and classrooms, if they aren’t already using them. About Kelly Walsh

The Kindle Fire 6.3 update may help light up the classroom I really enjoyed using the Amazon Kindle Fire and if I didn't have so many other tablets I would definitely have kept it in hand. I spent the day with a high school classmate last weekend and he was telling me all about the Kindle Fires he bought for his kids and how great it was to get powerful tablets for just $200. Some good news came from Amazon yesterday as they rolled out a significant software update that takes the Kindle Fire to version 6.3. This latest update provides the following: Sharing: Customers will be able to easily share favorite passages and notes from their books directly from Kindle Fire, without even leaving the book. Make sure you have a charged up Kindle Fire and are connected via WiFi before attempting the update. Looking at this list of updates I see that the possibility of using low cost Kindle Fires in the classroom is closer to reality. Related ZDNet coverage

iPad classroom examples BrainPop UK Bring learning to your fingertips with the BrainPOP Featured Movie app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Watch a different animated movie every day, then test your new knowledge with an interactive quiz – free! School wide subscriptions can be purchased to have full access to all the videos. Edexcel Past Papers Edexcel Past Papers allows you to download past papers directly to your mobile device, allowing you to revise anywhere at any time. Evernote Peek Evernote Peek is a learning app designed for the iPad 2 Smart Cover. Simply peek under the cover to prepare for a quiz, practice a language or strengthen your memory. iMindMap HD iMindMap HD is the ONLY Mind Mapping app that is endorsed by inventor of Mind Maps, Tony Buzan, allowing for truly organic Mind Maps and freedom to draw as if by hand. Khan Academy Khan Academy allows you to learn almost anything for free. My Exams Create your own personal exam timetable using SQA’s Exam Timetable Builder. My Study Plan Quizlet YouTube

P.E. Goes High-Tech Digital Tools Getty By Jennifer Roland Jumping jacks, team sports, and laps around the school yard are still primarily how kids are getting physical exercise at school, but the use of technology is seeping into P.E. class too. Plugging kids into their own physiology, veteran P.E. teacher Betty Ann Fish from Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia is using heart rate monitors and software for circuit-training workouts. The new devices are relatively new in Fish’s teaching repertoire. For assessment, Fish uses TeacherPal and a spreadsheet to track student performance. Palek says the goal of the system is “to get kids more active and to teach kids how to take care of themselves.” Related Explore: P.E.

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