Friday, December 31, 2010

Google Shortcuts

Google Shortcuts Extension is a Must for Educators — Tech the Plunge
Google has infused itself within education by offering a ton of web services that make it easy to create and lookup content within your web browser. But, if you are like me, sometimes you discover a great Google service only to forget to use it to its full potential. As great as all the Google services are, navigating about Google is not one of its strongpoints.

SItes I use or will learn

The Pursuit of Technology Integration Happiness: My Top 10 EdTech Resources of 2010
I present what I consider to be the top 10 Tools/Websites/Resources for teachers and students from 2010. These are in no particular order because I believe they are all great, but for different reasons. They might have been around before 2010, but were an important addition to education this past year.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Finding Images and Clipart

Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero: Top 10 Sites for Images and Clip Art
Top 10 Sites for Images and Clip Art
Finding images on the internet for educators to use has been a common problem problem for many alike. This can happen for a number of reason such as: copy right privileges, inappropriateness, etc etc.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Have a new e-reader? How about some free books

Free Kindle Books: A Guide
If Google Trends are anything to go by, a fair number of you were fortunate enough to unwrap a Kindle 3 this Christmas (currently, “free kindle books” is trending at number 9).

As such, we thought we’d alert you to some of the following resources for getting free Kindle books on your new device (as well as your smartphone and desktop). For all but the Kindle Store, you’ll need to transfer the books manually using a computer and USB cable.........

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Annotating the Web

Top Web Annotation and Markup Tools
Ever try browsing the web and came across some content that you wanted to save for later reference? Yes you can easily bookmark a site, but wouldn’t it be awesome if you can select and save the specific text in the content that interests you? You are at a page where you want to leave a comment or note but u can’t because the page does not provide a comment system, what do you do about it? Better example, what do you use when you are working on a document or website of your own and wanting to get feedback from users or collaborate with a friend or group?

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

How can you Publish Online?

Free Technology for Teachers: 7 Visually Appealing Ways to Publish Documents Online
Last week after I and ten others released The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators I received a handful of emails asking either how I built the page-turning effects into the ebook or why I chose to use to use a 3rd party to host the ebook. I figure if a handful of people were curious enough to email me about it, there are probably others who are also curious about the same questions. I choose to use 3rd party services to host the ebooks I publish so that I can track how many times they're viewed and downloaded. The other reason I use 3rd party services to host the ebooks is because I like having the option of displaying the ebooks with page-turning effects. Here are the services I've used to host my ebooks and some others that you might consider using.

Sir Ken Robinson - Hammer Lecture Series

YouTube - Sir Ken Robinson, Hammer Lectures
Ken Robinson has written numerous books, most recently "The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything." This talk explores ways to connect peoples' natural aptitudes with their personal passions to achieve at their highest levels in education and business. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003 for his outstanding achievements in education and the arts.



Sir Ken Robinson, Hammer Lectures

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Fun ways to make Cards

Digital Tools for Teachers: Word Cloud Christmas Card Ideas
Being the festive season and if you are like me haven’t organised Christmas cards yet. Here is a quick and fun way you can make them. It also gives you the chance to try out a few websites at the same time.

Friday, December 17, 2010

5 Tasks to Teach Yourself to Teach with Technology

From Nik Peachey
Nik's Learning Technology Blog: 5 Tasks to Teach Yourself to Teach with Technology
Some months ago I had a plan to write a book of tasks to get teachers using technology. As with so many of my plans and ideas, time and circumstances over took me and I never got further than the first 15 tasks. When I went back to do some more I noticed that I was taking so long doing these that some had gone out of date, so to try to get some use from the tasks I've decided to revise them and start publishing them here so anyone can download them and use them either to do teacher training or to develop their own ability to use technology........

Thursday, December 16, 2010

10 Tips for Starting an Education Blog

Written by Michael Zimmer
The Pursuit of Technology Integration Happiness: 10 Tips for Starting an Education Blog
It was about a year ago that I really started to get into the idea of blogging. I was hesitant, unsure, and fairly new to the whole idea. I spent most of the initial stages of blogging just learning how to use the site to benefit myself, understanding widgets and embedding, and learning how to write for an audience. Below are tips that I would offer someone based on my own experience.......

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Using QR Codes in the classroom

How to Use QR Codes in Student Projects – SimpleK12
bctfqA qrcodeScannable bar codes may be just what you need to spark some student interest in your classroom - read on to learn how to use them to showcase your student work and give some life to your classroom's infographics.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Opt Out of Google

Have you worried about privacy? Here is a solution
Google Opt Out Feature Lets Users Protect Privacy By Moving To Remote Village

The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators

From Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne

Free Technology for Teachers: The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators
There are many teachers who want to start using technology in their classrooms, but just aren't sure where to start. That's why I got together ten prominent ed tech bloggers, teachers, and school administrators to create The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators. In this book there introductions to more than six dozen web tools for K-12 teachers. Additionally, you will find sections devoted to using Skype with students, ESL/ELL, blogging in elementary schools, social media for educators, teaching online, and using technology in alternative education settings.

Thursday, December 09, 2010

100 Inspiring Ways to Use Social Media In the Classroom

100 Inspiring Ways to Use Social Media In the Classroom | Online Universities
Social media may have started out as a fun way to connect with friends, but it has evolved to become a powerful tool for education and business. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter and tools such as Skype are connecting students to learning opportunities in new and exciting ways. Whether you teach an elementary class, a traditional college class, or at an online university, you will find inspirational ways to incorporate social media in your classroom with this list......

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

A great use of HTML5 and a learning source

Learn about Storify

From Tech the Plunge

Storify for Educators–Tell a Story with Social Media! | Tech the Plunge
The Process

I knew I remembered Storify but couldn’t really remember much about it. I went to the site and it looked like you had to have an invite. I checked my old e-mails and found that I had already applied and received an invite so I decided to log in.

Storify in its most basic form is an information curator. As I thought about it, isn’t that exactly what teachers do each and every day? So let’s see if Storify helps me curate information or simply offers another way to curate that doesn’t really save me time.

Special Education - best Technology Blogs

From Special Education Masters

50 Best Education Technology Blogs You Aren’t Reading Yet
Technology and teaching — two words that seem to fit together perfectly today for most teachers and learners. So much so that a slew of new blogs have come on board to talk about education technology — or, edTech. This list of the 50 best education technology blogs are not inclusive, as there are so many new blogs available; however, if you look at links provided by many of these blogs to other edTech blogs, you may learn about even more blog that you aren’t reading yet.

Using SMS in the classroom

From  The Pursuit of Technology Integration Happiness

The Pursuit of Technology Integration Happiness: 10 Tips for Using SMS in the Classroom
There is an increasing use and ease of access to cellular technology in the classroom. Our students are pros at using text messages to communicate with friends. Why not turn this into a proactive solution to communicating with students in and out of the classroom. Remember to get your students information at the beginning of the year. Do they have an unlimited plan? Can they accept and send MMS messages?

5 Useful Webtools You Don’t Know Exist

Written by Kimberly at I <3 EdTech

5 Useful Webtools You Don’t Know Exist – SimpleK12
Have you ever learned about a new (or new to you) tech tool and thought, "Wow -- how did I not know about this?". Saturday I attended EdCamp Citrus, and experienced this during one of the sessions. Here is a list of my favorite free lesser-known webtools, all mentioned at EdCamp Citrus' Web 2.0 Smackdown.

17 free eBooks for Teachers and Parents

From Richard Byrne on Free Technology for Teachers

Free Technology for Teachers: 17 Free eBooks for Teachers and Parents
Over the last eighteen months I've created and offered seven free ebooks for teachers. In those ebooks I've covered Google tools, web search, video creation, blogging, and other resources of interest to educators. All seven of those ebooks are available in the right hand column of Free Technology for Teachers. This morning I'd like to highlight some other free ebooks created by others for teachers and parents....

Monday, December 06, 2010

Great resource for learning more about Google and education

Google Tutor: Tutorials and Tips for Google Users
Google tips, tricks, and tutorials...

K12 Technology Scope and Sequence

Google Teracher Academy

Free Technology for Teachers: Google Teacher Academy Sydney
Google recently announced that applications are now being accepted for the next Google Teacher Academy. The next GTA will be held on March 10, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. Applications are due by January 27, 2011. As always only 50 applicants will be accepted. You can learn more and apply here. If you're interested in knowing more about the purpose of GTA, watch the video here.

100 Best (and Free) Online Learning Tools

The 100 Best (And Free) Online Learning Tools | Edudemic
We’re always excited to find the next best thing. But how does one actually find this supposed next best thing? Let EduDemic and it’s sister site EduDatum do the work for you! For example, ever wanted to spend zero dollars but have some of the most bleeding edge technologies at your disposal? Fear not!

In the vain of C4LPT, we bring you many other resources that are not as well-known as those featured on their site. (Be sure to check out their list though as it also has some great stuff!) Below you will find a dazzling number of free (open) resources to learn, engage, and just make learning more fun. Enjoy!

Sharing and Collaborating

These sites offer a place for educators to find open educational resources as well as provide a place for those who want to share their ideas or work collaboratively on projects......

More ways to share slideshows

Slideshow Maker, Free Online Slideshows, Edit Photos
Create Amazing Slideshows, Edit Photos, then Share!

Googlios

Googlios
Welcome to "Googlios" where free Google tools meet ePortfolios.
This site is intended to be a collection of resources for those interested in using ePortfolios in Education.

More ways to share slideshows

Slideshow Maker, Free Online Slideshows, Edit Photos
Create Amazing Slideshows, Edit Photos, then Share!

100 Best (and Free) Online Learning Tools

The 100 Best (And Free) Online Learning Tools | Edudemic
We’re always excited to find the next best thing. But how does one actually find this supposed next best thing? Let EduDemic and it’s sister site EduDatum do the work for you! For example, ever wanted to spend zero dollars but have some of the most bleeding edge technologies at your disposal? Fear not!

In the vain of C4LPT, we bring you many other resources that are not as well-known as those featured on their site. (Be sure to check out their list though as it also has some great stuff!) Below you will find a dazzling number of free (open) resources to learn, engage, and just make learning more fun. Enjoy!

Sharing and Collaborating

These sites offer a place for educators to find open educational resources as well as provide a place for those who want to share their ideas or work collaboratively on projects......

Sunday, December 05, 2010

Google Teracher Academy

Free Technology for Teachers: Google Teacher Academy Sydney
Google recently announced that applications are now being accepted for the next Google Teacher Academy. The next GTA will be held on March 10, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. Applications are due by January 27, 2011. As always only 50 applicants will be accepted. You can learn more and apply here. If you're interested in knowing more about the purpose of GTA, watch the video here.

Friday, December 03, 2010

Mobile Learning Resources

ADL Mobile - home
This site was created and is maintained by the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Mobile Learning Team. Additionally we provide a weekly newsletter to the military and government agencies. The archives for the newsletter are publicly available here.

The ADL Mobile Learning Team’s vision is to be the source of information and support for DoD mobile learning initiatives. Effective usage of handheld devices can bring us closer to improved personalized learning—the right learning resources and performance aids, to the right person at the right time and place.

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Why Use Google Spreadsheets?

Why Use Google Spreadsheets?

There are lots of reasons that you might use Google Spreadsheets instead of Microsoft’s Excel or SPSS. As a teaser for this week’s Faculty Friday, here are a narrow set of the benefits you’ll find with Spreadsheets.

A great demonstration of Creative Commons by Darren Draper

Drape's Takes: The Educator's Guide to the Creative Commons
As not every teacher understands how to implement the Creative Commons into their curriculum, I thought I'd take a minute to explain how I would use it if I was in their shoes.

Th ebattle between Schools and Web 2.0 tools

Schools still conflicted over Web 2.0 tools | Communication and Collaboration | eSchoolNews.com
Many school systems have discovered that Web 2.0 tools such as blogging, social networking, and collaborative authoring software can help create participatory learning environments—but the gap between schools that have embraced these tools and those that have not is still large.

A new monograph from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) profiles six school districts—Birdville Independent School District in Texas, New Canaan Public Schools in Connecticut, Michigan’s Westwood Cyber High School, Georgia’s Forsyth County Schools, Barrington 220 in Illinois, and White Oak Independent School District in Texas—and examines how those districts are using Web 2.0 tools to align school policies and practices with global education goals.

Web 2.0 as a Force for School Transformation: A Tale of Six Districts,” part of the 2010 CoSN Compendium, contains profiles of each district, an overview of some of the Web 2.0 tools that each uses, and a librarian’s perspective on the role that school media centers play in adopting Web 2.0 strategies. The profiles also address filtering policies as they relate to Web 2.0 content.

Classroom Management Tools

5 Innovative Classroom Management Tools for Teachers
Few teachers are drawn to the profession for its administrative duties. But the reality of attendance taking, lesson planning, grading and parental communications is that they’re a big part of the job.

These tasks, however, need not take over. With help from the many online services and mobile apps designed for teachers, it can be easy to efficiently organize and complete classroom management responsibilities.

Here are five of our favorite virtual tools for tackling some of the most common classroom chores.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Moving forward with Google Apps

Blogging About The Web 2.0 Connected Classroom: 6 Nifty Ideas For Using Google Apps In The Classroom
Over the past few weeks I have collected some great classroom resources surrounding the use of Google for various classroom activities. Here are a few of my favorites. (In no particular order. I don't want to make anyone jealous or anything...)

Using Twitter for professional development

How Twitter can help teachers connect with students — and each other | SmartBlog on Social Media
Hundreds of educators from international schools around the world came to Nice, France, for the European Council of International Schools annual conference from Nov. 17 to 21. Teachers everywhere are grappling with how to integrate social media into their lesson plans, and many seem skeptical of the appeal of Twitter, let alone how it could be used for educational purposes.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Using Twitter to stay on top of education news

28 Education and Technology Keywords Or Hashtags To Follow on Twitter | Tech Academy
Tired of being the last to hear about education news? Try using Twitter to listen and learn!

Stories and Poems in mp3 format

Lit2Go: MP3 Stories and Poems

Lit2Go is a free online collection of stories and poems in Mp3 (audiobook) format. You can:
  • Download the files to your Mp3 player and listen on the go,
  • Listen to the Mp3 files on your computer,
  • View the text on a webpage and read along as you listen,
  • Print out the stories and poems to make your own book.

Great List of Hashtags For Educators

Supercool School: Great List of Hashtags For Educators
I just read a post on Karlana's World regarding #hashtags for education - it's a great article and I encourage everyone to read it who is an active educator on twitter. You'll learn how to use #hashtags and how to monitor the most useful #hashtags for edcucation and learning.

Questions about how technology is changing learning

Resources | Teaching With and About Technology - NYTimes.com
What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of using technology for learning? Are tech tools essentials, distractions or somewhere in between? How are other teachers using technology? What tech skills do today’s teachers need to use digital tools effectively?

We present a collection of Learning Network resources, Times multimedia and articles and useful outside links to help both digital immigrants and digital natives think through these questions.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Pens and Pencils should be banned from classrooms

10 Reasons to Ban Pens and Pencils in the Classroom | MindShift

10 Reasons to Ban Pens and Pencils in the Classroom
November 26, 2010 | 10:01 AM | By Katie Stansberry

photoAccording to a recent MSNBC article, 69% of high school currently ban cell phones. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a school anywhere that has enacted a blanket ban on pens and pencils. Here are 10 reasons to reconsider the widespread acceptance of these distracting and potentially dangerous implements.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Learning about how to blog - check out these great blogs

Online Degrees: 100 Best Blogs for the Classroom Teacher
Graduating college is just the first step in a teacher's education. From required continuing education units to the learning you want to do to keep your teaching fresh, you probably find yourself on a continual quest for new information. This list of blogs for the classroom teacher is just one more way to find that ever-important knowledge. Read these blogs to find ways to bolster your lessons, learn how you can use technology in your classroom, stay on top of current education news and policy, or get resources for a specific subject.

Web Pased presentation ideas

Hate PowerPoint? Here Are 5 Web-based Alternatives


powerpoint-logo.jpgWhether they're for clients, customers or colleagues, visual presentations are an unavoidable part of doing business. For years, Microsoft PowerPoint has been the standard bearer of slide presentation applications, but several Web-based alternatives have emerged.

For the most part, the alternatives offer similar functionality to PowerPoint, sometimes more, sometimes less. One obvious advantage to Web-based presentations is that they're stored in the cloud, eliminating the potential for nightmare scenarios involving lost or corrupted thumb drives.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Free Presentation Videos from Tech-Ed

Tech·Ed 2010 - Download the presentation videos free - Microsoft UK Schools blog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs
If you've ever been lucky enough to get to Tech·Ed, you'll know that some of the best technical presenters are there, presenting some of the most useful technical content for IT managers. Each year over 100 people from UK educational institutions travel out to it (this year, it was in Berlin), but I know that many, many more people want to attend, but simply can't get sign off for the costs.

A dropbox manual

The Complete Dropbox for Educators | Tech the Plunge
Dropbox is a very useful tool to store online files, sync your computers and mobile devices and share files. With all those capabilities it makes it a natural tool for educators!

Going Google

The Benefits of Google Apps for Education in Schools
Getting Google Apps accounts for your school is an increasingly attractive proposition. This free, online suite of tools offers schools the chance to centralize all their academic efforts under one school-managed online domain. It is highly interactive, and positively encourages collaboration. It has benefits for both staff and students and is instantly familiar and easy to learn. Here's what you can expect to get if your school signs up for this versatile online solution.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Videos and lectires - why leave home for school?

Mobile Learning - a hot topic

Survey: Mobile learning at a tipping point | Mobile and Handheld Technologies | eSchoolNews.com
According to a recent national survey, access to mobile technology in the classroom has more than tripled among high schools students in the past three years—and even more interesting, parents say they are more likely to purchase a mobile technology device for their child if it’s for classroom use.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Ten Top Technology Tools for Teachers

Ten Top Technology Tools for Teachers | Why did the Chickenman cross the road?
These tools are all free, easy to use, easy to access and can be used in any subject at any age to enhance the learning experience.

Monday, November 15, 2010

8 Awesome Utilities for Extending iCal | Mac.AppStorm

8 Awesome Utilities for Extending iCal | Mac.AppStorm
Planning ahead and scheduling events is a key step toward enhancing productivity, and ensuring you don’t miss appointments! That’s where calendar apps come to our rescue, to chart our day-to-day tasks and routines. For an app that comes bundled with your Mac, iCal does a remarkable job.

Social Learning Tools for the School Classroom (ages 5-18)

Social Learning Tools for the School Classroom
This is a new page of the Directory showing SOCIAL tools particularly targeted at (or very useful) for the primary, junior, middle and secondary school classrooms.

Friday, November 12, 2010

A Teachers Guide to Facebook

Every Teacher’s Must-Have Guide To Facebook | Edudemic
You can’t swing a stick in social media without hitting something on Facebook. Same goes for education. You can’t talk about how technology is revolutionizing education without mentioning Facebook. It’s a simple service to figure out but what about once you become a regular user?

Video Web Sites for Teachers

Top 40 Video Web Sites for Teachers
Learning can come from books, or it can come from streaming TV interviews about books and authors. Video produced by universities, major television networks and organizations all provide entertaining and enlightening shows, lectures and films that can enhance learning experiences for students of all ages. The following top 40 sources for open courseware videos (meaning they are no charge and educational) are categorized and listed in alphabetical order within those categories.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Mobile Tools for Teachers

100 Mobile Tools for Teachers | Cellphones.org
It is a common-known fact that teaching is a labor of love for most educators. They are overworked and under-appreciated and many of them spend their own money, time and energy to improve their students’ education. With all of the new mobile tools on the market today, teachers can more easily work from satellite locations, share educational resources and access school-related data directly from their cell phones. Here are 100 mobile tools for teachers that make the grade.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Xtranormal | Text-to-Movie

Xtranormal | Text-to-Movie
If you can type. you can make a movie.

Do Podcasts Help Students Learn?

Do Podcasts Help Students Learn?

Before George Washington University renewed its iTunes U contract, the administration wanted to know how the podcasts impacted student learning and engagement.

In fall 2009, the university's Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning studied a world history class of 262 students to find the answer.

But the answer isn't yes or no — the answer depends on the student's learning style, gender and motivation.

“If your goal is to find a magic bullet that makes all students better, this isn’t it," said Hugh Agnew, a professor from the Elliott School of International Affairs who taught the course. "But If your goal is to reach some students better that maybe you aren’t reaching so terribly well, then I think this is worth trying.”

6 Free Sites for Creating Your Own Comics

6 Free Sites for Creating Your Own Comics
In the days of cold, hard newsprint, only people who could draw were successful comic strip authors. In some cases, this resulted in comic strips that had very nice pictures, but weren’t all that funny (cough, Blondie). Thankfully, the Internet has taught us not to accept an inferior form of comic artistry, but a more flexible one

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Survey: Mobile learning at a tipping point | Mobile and Handheld Technologies | eSchoolNews.com

Survey: Mobile learning at a tipping point | Mobile and Handheld Technologies | eSchoolNews.com
According to a recent national survey, access to mobile technology in the classroom has more than tripled among high schools students in the past three years—and even more interesting, parents say they are more likely to purchase a mobile technology device for their child if it’s for classroom use.

12 videos to spark educators’ thinking | Dangerously Irrelevant

12 videos to spark educators’ thinking | Dangerously Irrelevant
If you’re like me, you have trouble keeping up with all of the great videos that are out there. I love it when others help me separate the wheat from the chaff.

Monday, November 01, 2010

Twiducate.com - Social Networking For Schools

Twiducate.com - Social Networking For Schools
twiducate.com is a free resource for educators. Developed in 2009, our goal is to create a medium for teachers and students to continue their learning outside the classroom. We attempt to fill a need for a more educationally focused, safe venue for teachers, schools, and home learners in a social networking environment.

Blecko - a new search engine

 

http://blekko.com/

 

blekko is a better way to search the web by using slashtags. slashtags search only the sites you want and cut out the spam sites. use friends, experts, community or your own slashtags to slash in what you want and slash out what you don't.

Friday, October 29, 2010

100 Ways You Should Be Using Facebook in Your Classroom

http://www.onlinecollege.org/2009/10/20/100-ways-you-should-be-using-facebook-in-your-classroom/

Facebook isn’t just a great way for you to find old friends or learn about what’s happening this weekend, it is also an incredible learning tool. Teachers can utilize Facebook for class projects, for enhancing communication, and for engaging students in a manner that might not be entirely possible in traditional classroom settings. Read on to learn how you can be using Facebook in your classroom, no matter if you are a professor, student, working online, or showing up in person for class.

101 Ways to Use Twitter on Campus

http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/09/14/101-ways-to-use-twitter-on-campus/

Twitter is known as a great networking and self-promotion tool, but it’s also a useful service for your campus community. Teachers, administrators and students can all use Twitter for study help, group projects, catching up on news around the world and on campus, public relations and recruitment, library announcements, and a lot more. Here are 100 ways to use Twitter on campus.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

6 Free Sites for Creating Your Own Animations

 

Picture

  http://mashable.com/2010/10/27/create-animations-online/

The long and illustrious history of moving pictures all started with the zoetrope. Then there was the thaumatrope, the flip book, and my personal favorite, the phenakistoscope. And now we have (drumroll please): The Internet......

 

Friday, October 22, 2010

100 Blogs Every New Teacher Should Read

100 Blogs Every New Teacher Should Read
Really worth checking out!

100 Incredibly Useful YouTube Channels for Teachers | Online College Courses

100 Incredibly Useful YouTube Channels for Teachers | Online College Courses
YouTube has earned a reputation for featuring brain cell-slaughtering fare such as the truly abysmal Fred and playing host to the some of the most depressingly stupid comments th...

Thursday, October 21, 2010

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

This animate was adapted from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA's Benjamin Franklin award.

9 Safety Tips for Podcasting in the Classroom – SimpleK12

9 Safety Tips for Podcasting in the Classroom – SimpleK12
Podcasting in your classroom is a creative way to stimulate learning and motivate students to participate in classroom activities and collaborative assignments. With any technology, it is extremely important to remember to stay safe! The link yields just a few tips to help ensure you are podcasting safely.

Monday, October 11, 2010

A Rubric for Evaluating Student Blogs - ProfHacker - The Chronicle of Higher Education

A Rubric for Evaluating Student Blogs - ProfHacker - The Chronicle of Higher Education
The pedagogical value and the challenges of integrating student blogging into your teaching is a recurring topic on ProfHacker. Some of our earliest posts dealt with student blogging, and we have revisited the issue frequently. Most recently, Jeff and Julie wrote about that age-old question—How are you going to grade this?—when it comes to evaluating classroom blogs. Jeff and Julie offer a number of fantastic pointers, and they also refer to a blogging rubric that I use in my own teaching. I’ve never directly described how I grade student blog posts on ProfHacker, but I think it’s about time to share what has been a valuable tool, and to encourage professors to adopt and modify it to fit their own needs.

100 Serious Twitter Tips for Academics | Best Colleges Online

100 Serious Twitter Tips for Academics | Best Colleges Online
Twitter’s popularity has soared recently, and for good reason. What started as a simple way to update friends about daily life has grown into a powerful tool for business, communication, and education. While many campuses are just picking up on the educational rewards possible with Twitter, there is still plenty of room to create new and exciting ways to use Twitter on campus. The following tips will help you know just how to get started using Twitter in academia, teach you etiquette, offer strategies and benefits, provide suggestions for specific ways to use Twitter, list tools to use with Twitter, and more.

Education Article :: 100+ Google Tricks for Teachers

Education Article :: 100+ Google Tricks for Teachers
It's Google's world, we're just teaching in it.
Now, we can use it a little more easily. With classes, homework, and projects–not to mention your social life–time is truly at a premium for all teachers, so why not take advantage of the wide world that Google has to offer?
From super-effective search tricks to Google tools specifically for education to tricks and tips for using Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar, these tricks will surely save you some precious time.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

50 Excellent Open Courses on Teaching With Technology

50 Excellent Open Courses on Teaching With Technology
The information below is taken from a recent posting on www.onlinecollegesanduniversities.com.
It is a listing of 50 free online courses that are offered on a wide variety of instructional technology topics. The courses are free, self-directed, and accessible over the internet. Rather then listing a few examples in this posting I decided to paste all of the links below. (see the link above)

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Texting and Teachers Experimenting with Technology: 10 Resources | Teacher Reboot Camp

Texting and Teachers Experimenting with Technology: 10 Resources | Teacher Reboot Camp
A great article discussing how cell phones can be useful in classes instead of a distraction.

10 Benefits of Mobile Devices for Learning « Mobile Learning Blog

10 Benefits of Mobile Devices for Learning « Mobile Learning Blog
Today’s mobile devices can handle a majority of tasks that teachers require and students expect from personal computers (PCs). However, there are many distinct advantages that are unique to mobile devices.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Five Free 21st Century Presentations by David Kapuler

Five Free 21st Century Presentations by David Kapuler
Recently, I've had the opportunity to compile some presentations that I've done throughout the year. I've made these all available at no charge and allow people to edit them and use them as they desire. These courses are a nice guide to educators who want to explore 21st Century/Web 2.0 technologies. I cover a wide range of areas, from building a PLN to blogging in the classroom.

Free Technology for Teachers: 47 Alternatives to Using YouTube in the Classroom

Free Technology for Teachers: 47 Alternatives to Using YouTube in the Classroom
reposted - by Richard Byrne
Some excellent educational content can be found on YouTube. However, many teachers cannot access YouTube in their classrooms. That is why I originally wrote what became one of the most popular posts to ever appear on Free Technology for Teachers, 30+ Alternatives to YouTube. That post is now fourteen months old and I've come across more alternatives in that time. Also in that time span some of the resources on the list have shut down. So it's time to update the list.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Best Embeds for Educational Wikis and Blogs

Best Embeds for Educational Wikis and Blogs
Now that you and/or your students are using wikis and blogs, are you curious what could be added to them? From animated slideshows to collaborative documents to interactive review games, many great (and free) tools are available. As a follow up to my previous post “What Teachers Should and Should Not Be Posting on their Classroom Webpages”, I’ve pulled a master list of embedding options that will hopefully spark your imagination.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Eyejot :: What's Eyejot?

Eyejot :: What's Eyejot?
I may have posted on this before ... but
Eyejot is the first, comprehensive, client-free online video messaging platform ideal for both personal and business communications. It offers everyone the ability to create and receive video messages in a self-contained, spam-free environment. With no client to install, you can start using Eyejot immediately with any browser, on any platform. It even features built-in support for iTunes™ (and iPods™), mobile devices and social networks like MySpace™.Watch Eyejot video examples.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Mac Freeware All-Stars: Our 10 Best in Category Picks | Mac.AppStorm

Mac Freeware All-Stars: Our 10 Best in Category Picks | Mac.AppStorm
Recently we posted an enormous roundup of 100 free Mac applications. These types of articles are awesome for a quick overview of everything that’s available, but sometimes you just want to know what the best free app is in a given genre.
Today we’ll answer this question by presenting our top picks for free applications across various categories. Below we’ll take a look at the best of the best in free software and then give you the chance to join the discussion and cast your vote.

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Tools to help!

NoodleTools : MLA, APA, and Chicago/Turabian Bibliography Composer, Online Notecards
NoodleTools provides innovative software that teaches students and supports teachers and librarians throughout the entire research process

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Greplin

Greplin
a site that searches all your online data, in one place, really fast.

Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org: Free ePub solutions for Your Nook

Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org: Free ePub solutions for Your Nook
Do you know where you can find free ePub publications for your eReader, especially the Nook?
Earlier this week (or maybe it was last week), I shared eReader Indecision. I finally made a decision and ordered the Barnes and Noble Nook Wi-Fi. (Here's one of the reasons why I didn't get a Kindle...lack of format support, such as for ePub). I'm hoping I didn't totally make a mistake but only hands-on experience and time will tell. Also, I'm hoping that the Nook Wi-Fi will be something that will work well in a school environment where 3G access isn't necessarily encouraged.......

Teachers and Students in Control - 4 Media Creating Sites

Teachers and Students in Control - 4 Media Creating Sites
There are so many tools and resources that are available to the education world that let you and your students create tons of different applications. These sites are great for incorporating into class projects, lessons or just having fun with learning! These 4 sites will provide you with a quick variety of some of those great resources. Combining technology with learning is just another way of preparing students for the future while having fun.

Full List - 50 Best Websites 2010 - TIME

Full List - 50 Best Websites 2010 - TIME
From the helpful to the distracting, the big hitters to the unknowns, TIME offers a road map to the best of the Web

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Bittersweet News for Social Media in Education | Edutopia

Bittersweet News for Social Media in Education | Edutopia
We're purposely creating a disconnect with our youth and setting them up to fail in the digital space by simply hiding social media sites because we're too afraid of misuse. Whether we like it or not, our students are already using social media sites. Seventy-three percent of American teens now use social networking websites, according to new study by Pew Internet on Social Media and Young Adults. Are we going to stand aside and watch them engage in social media with their phones and at home? What about teaching our youth about digital footprints, citizenship, and etiquette in this quickly evolving space? As educators, I can't imagine a more important role to take on.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Mobile Trends, E-books, and the Web « The Xplanation

The following is an except from the web site - it makes for good reading
Mobile Trends, E-books, and the Web « The Xplanation
Welcome to this morning’s Daily Research Update. Today’s themes are social networking, rethinking learning, and for-profits. If you want more context for this research, take a look at our Education and Technology Trends for 2010. You may also be interested in our Weekly Research Index, or you can follow our live, daily research on our Current News page.
(Click here to see a simple listing of today’s suggested reading)
Let’s talk mobile for a bit, shall we? For starters, some are questioning the success of RIM’s latest BlackBerry — the Torch. “The WSJ cites analysts at RBC Capital Markets and Stifel Nicolaus, which both estimate that RIM sold about 150,000 of the device over the weekend. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs called the launch “underwhelming.” For comparison’s sake, the iPhone 4 sold 1.7 million devices in its opening weekend.”

Weblogg-ed » Unlearning Teaching

Weblogg-ed » Unlearning Teaching
Rather than teachers delivering an information product to be ‘consumed’ and fed back by the student, co-creating value would see the teacher and student mutually involved in assembling and dissembling cultural products. As co-creators, both would add value to the capacity building work being done through the invitation to ‘meddle’ and to make errors. The teacher is in there experimenting and learning from the instructive complications of her errors alongside her students, rather than moving from desk to desk or chat room to chat room, watching over her flock.

Langwitches Blog » 21st Century Learning

Langwitches Blog » 21st Century Learning
I found the following video in my Reader today from The Innovative Educator. I will be saving the video for future PD opportunities.
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Monday, August 16, 2010

iPad Quiz Maker

ProProfs is an advanced, free quiz maker offering more features than you might expect. Advanced options like security, scoring, time limits & more make this online quiz software perfect for corporations, educational institutions and just for fun. This free quiz maker is 100% safe for use in educational environment with Family-safe advertisements in the free version. If you are looking for a test generator, exam maker or a causal quiz creator, ProProfs fits the need. Make your own online quiz now with many options at your disposal.

Sonic Pics for iPod (and iPad)

Reviews and views on iPod Apps for Education
This app allows you to narrate over pictures in your photo gallery. It’s very simple to start a project, choose pictures then record the narration to accompany your pictures. You change between photos by swiping your finger across the screen.

What matters about 21st Century Learning

David Warlick does a superb job in describing why our mission is not about the tool but about the learning.

Technology for 21st Century Learning: Part 1 : 2¢ Worth
The only thing that is one to one that we should be concerned with is equitable access to rigorous, relevant, and irresistible learning experiences that reflect and harness the times, environment, and ultimate goals of the learning.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Schools making use of iPads

North Adams Public Schools making use of iPads - North Adams Transcript
Forget laptops. The North Adams Public Schools are hoping the latest form of innovative handheld technology -- the Apple iPad -- will entice at-risk students to improve their grades and graduate on time.

The school district is piloting a new program aimed at helping students earn credits for classes they’ve failed through learning modules specifically created for the iPad.

Access iPad and iPod documents when offline

Offline Access to Cloud Documents Comes to the iPhone and iPad
Cloud storage and collaboration platform Box.net has just updated its iPhone and iPad application with support for offline downloads and background processing in iOS 4.

Creating content with iPads

Creating Content with iPads – #edtech #elearning #ipad | School Technology Solutions
I am sick of people saying that the iPad is for consuming and not creating online digital content. There is no doubt that the iPad is a great device to browse the web, read an eBook and check email (consuming) but it can do so much more than that. You will see from my list below that the iPad is far superior to the laptop in a lot of different areas of digital content creation.

IPad Curriculum

iPad Curriculum
This site has ideas on how to use the iPad in schools - take a look.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Technology takes formative assessment to a whole new level

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/08/04/technology-takes-formative-assessment-to-a-whole-new-level/

handheld

Student response system (SRS) technology has caught on in classrooms nationwide as a tool for boosting class participation, as well as helping teachers ensure that students understand what’s being taught before they move on to another concept. But the current generation of the technology has its limitations.

 

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Anthologize

Anthologize is a free, open-source, plugin that transforms WordPress 3.0 into a platform for publishing electronic texts. Grab posts from your WordPress blog, import feeds from external sites, or create new content directly within Anthologize. Then outline, order, and edit your work, crafting it into a single volume for export in several formats, including—in this release—PDF, ePUB, TEI.

http://anthologize.org/

More iPad items for school

Monday, August 02, 2010

A wordle replacement

Tagxedo - Creator
Tagxedo turns words -- famous speeches, news articles, slogans and themes, even your love letters -- into a visually stunning tag cloud, words individually sized appropriately to highlight the frequencies of occurrence within the body of text.

Screencast

Screenr - Create screencasts and screen recordings the easy way
Now you can create screencasts for your followers as easily as you tweet. Just click the record button and you’ll have your ready-to-tweet screencast in seconds.

Seven Ways to Find Teachers on Twitter

Twitter can be a great way to find resources and as a PLN - so....

Free Technology for Teachers: Seven Ways to Find Teachers on Twitter

More Web 2.0 Resources

» Resources
The list below is an ever expanding list of free resources, now over a 100 tools, that can be used in a classroom either by students or teachers. Each utility has a review and I provide a link to the site so that you can download the tool should you wish to use it. I will endeavour to keep the links up to date, but am not responsible for any site or service mentioned below. Please use them on an as you find it basis.

iPad Second Thoughts

That'SLife » Blog Archive » iPad – Second Thoughts
Well, at the moment it’s more a case of what am I not doing with it. Here’s the software I’m currently making most use of:

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

iPad apps - and teaching with Mobile devices

10 Excellent iPad Apps for the Lifelong Learner
In spite of being involved with technology in one way or another for most of my working career, I’ve never been much of a gadget guy. So, I was a bit surprised when I saw the iPad and immediately felt like I had to have one.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

More Screencasting

Free Technology for Teachers: Screenjelly - Quick and Easy Screencasting

Screenjelly is a free web-based tool that allows anyone to quickly create a screencast video. To use Screenjelly all you need to do is go to Screenjelly.com and click the big red "record" button. Once clicked Screenjelly will begin recording your screen and your voice (if you choose) for up to three minutes. When you're done recording press "stop" and you can then share your video on Twitter and other social networks. You can also embed your Screenjelly recording into your blog or website.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Simple Diagrams

Free Technology for Teachers: Simple Diagrams - Free Diagram Creation Tool
Simple Diagrams offers a free tool that anyone can use to create diagrams using a combination of clip art, text, and free hand drawings. Simple Diagrams provides a large selection of shapes and drawings that you can drag and drop into your diagrams. You can adjust the size of each element you place in your diagram. Any element can also be altered by using the pencil drawing tool. The pencil tool can also be used to create a drawing from scratch.

Google Training

Google Apps for Education - Free hosted email (Gmail) for EDU
Google Apps Education Edition offers a free (and ad-free) set of customizable tools that enable faculty, staff and students to work together and learn more effectively

Digital Storytelling with the iPad

Digital Storytelling with the iPad
Digital Storytelling can transform your students' writing into a visual masterpiece that is filled with voice and emotion, while enhancing critical thinking skills. The iPad takes digital storytelling to a new level by making the process easier, and even more engaging for students of all grade levels as well as for their teachers.

Friday, July 02, 2010

In defence od PowerPoint

In Defense of PowerPoint - BusinessWeek
The presentation software has become a target of comedians and critics. The problem isn't PowerPoint, but how presenters abuse it

Join an educational technology group - collaborate!

Groups | Edutopia
Edutopia Community Groups

Our community welcomes all teachers, administrators, parents, and others who are passionate about improving education.

Where do you rank - wuiz on your Technology Integration

QUIZ: Tech Savvy Teaching: How Do You Rank? | Edutopia
WHERE ARE YOU IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM? Are tech tools improving your teaching or just a distraction? The quiz below will rank you on our technology integration scale and provide you with smart tips to extend your tech comfort zone.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Aviary - Tools

Aviary - Tools
Aviary is a suite of powerful creative applications that you can use right in your web browser. We're on a mission to make creation accessible to artists of all genres, from graphic design to audio editing. Let Aviary and Worth1000 artists perform design services for you. Sign up for an account today to start creating, sharing, and collaborating with our community of artists.

Friday, June 04, 2010

ELI Discovery Tool: Collaborative Learning Workshop Guide | EDUCAUSE

ELI Discovery Tool: Collaborative Learning Workshop Guide | EDUCAUSE
Although there is much variation on the definition of collaborative learning, it typically refers to a situation in which two or more people learn or attempt to learn something together. Put differently, collaborative learning refers to methodologies and environments in which learners engage in a common task where each individual depends on and is accountable to each other to varying degrees (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_learning). Thus, collaborative learning is commonly illustrated when groups of students work together to search for understanding, meaning, or solutions or to create an artifact or product of their learning. Further, collaborative learning redefines the traditional student-teacher relationship in the classroom and can include collaborative writing, group projects, joint problem solving, debates, study teams, and other activities.

HOW TO: Make a Great How-To Video

This should be useful for digital storytelling
HOW TO: Make a Great How-To Video
If a picture speaks a thousand words, then a video certainly adds a good few more on top of that. One area in which video is invaluable is the “how-to” instructional that takes a diagram, recipe, or list of steps and brings the topic to life.
A bad how-to isn’t worth the pixels it’s rendered with, so we quizzed Tom Laidlaw, CEO of VideoJug.com — a site dedicated to how-to videos that stocks over 125,000 of them. He shared some dos and don’ts for the format.
Whether you’re a small business owner and want to demo a product, an artisan wanting to show off your skills, or even a consumer with a passion for sharing knowledge, before you pick up the camcorder, have a read of our top tips below

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Free Technology for Teachers: 100 Ways to Use VoiceThread in Education

Free Technology for Teachers: 100 Ways to Use VoiceThread in Education
100 Ways to Use VoiceThread in EDU is the title of a collaborative effort to gather educators' ideas for using VoiceThread in the classroom. Watch, read, and listen below

Easy Google Apps Management with Gpanion | Web.AppStorm

Easy Google Apps Management with Gpanion | Web.AppStorm
We all love Google and the dozens of great services & apps it offers. The problem is there are dozens of them and we tend to use a quiet a few as time passes on. The drop down under the more option is ever changing and often won’t list the apps we use on a daily basis.
Today we will take a quick look at Gpanion, which helps tie up loose ends when it comes to accessing Google’s apps and services.

Learning with 'e's: Movements for change

Steve Wheeler tackles these tough issues.
Learning with 'e's: Movements for change
The learning technology landscape is changing and many questions are being asked. Why should teachers give away their resources, and why should they share their hard work with other teachers? What is Creative Commons and how does it work? What is open scholarship and what does it have to offer me? Will the 'giants' in the publishing world take notice of the Open Educational Resource movement? How did Web 2.0 come about? How do movements for change emerge and gain impetus? Does change come best from a top-down or a bottom-up approach? And where can we find the useful open

Friday, May 28, 2010

Reframing Google's Search Options: The Poster, by Joyce Kasman Valenza

Reframing Google's Search Options: The Poster, by Joyce Kasman Valenza
Recently, Steven W. Anderson shared a fabulous post, Some Google Search Engines You Might Not Know About. Steve got me thinking about Google's many other hidden treasures.
Over the past couple of years, those brilliant Google engineers designed stunning search options, moving Google search way, way beyond an effective, but relatively inflexible, vertical search.
The problem is--so many of the very best search options are buried in the vast Google wilderness of labs, or in the wonderful, but lost pulldowns of more and even more--places where few but the most intrepid students and teachers dare to go.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Welcome to NBC Learn

NBC News has created 10,000 historic and current event resources for 21st century teaching and learning. The videos are updated daily, aligned to state standards, and downloadable. To learn more, sign-up for a FREE trial at www.nbclearn.com.
Welcome to NBC Learn

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Friday, May 21, 2010

Deleting Facebook

Deleting your Facebook account (FAQ) | InSecurity Complex - CNET News
Are you confused by the myriad changes Facebook keeps making to its privacy settings? Are you angry about your data being exposed without your express consent? Are you just fed up and not going to take it anymore?

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Online Learning: A Continuum of Opportunity

NAIS Task Force
NAIS 21st Century Curriculum/Technology Task Force
Online Learning: A Continuum of Opportunity
Critical Questions for School Leaders

Friday, April 30, 2010

Tired of lecturing?

Fifty Alternatives To Lecture
Fifty Alternatives to Lecture

Researched by J. Prusch and written and adapted by A.M. Pickett.

Almost any activity can be designed to be carried out in some way or another for an online course. Most important is that the instructor must set up the activity with all the supporting and explanatory documentation necessary for the students to understand fully what they are to do, when, where in the course they are to do it, what is expected specifically, and how they will be evaluated. Areas in the course must be designed and set up in advance by the instructor to account for and accommodate, explain, model, and evaluate each activity. Below are some ideas to get you thinking about what is possible and how. For help implementing any of these ideas in your course, contact your assigned instructional design partner.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Open Course in Education Futures #edfuture

Open Course in Education Futures | Open to all.

I am participating in this free eight week course - it looks to be an interesting experience.  The first orientation and lecture is available online. Stay tuned to get more information.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Mandatory Reading for School Reformers and Transformers: Alvin Toffler’s 2007 Interview in EduTopia

Mandatory Reading for School Reformers and Transformers: Alvin Toffler’s 2007 Interview in EduTopia « Moving at the Speed of Creativity
James Daly's 2007 interview with Alvin Toffler, "Reshaping Learning from the Ground Up," should be considered mandatory reading for anyone seeking to reform and/or transform formal education in the 21st century.

Monday, April 19, 2010

RCampus - Create and Conduct Courses Online

Free Technology for Teachers: RCampus - Create and Conduct Courses Online
RCampus - Create and Conduct Courses Online

RCampus is a free, web-based, platform for creating and conducting courses online. Using RCampus teachers can create a course, collect students' assignments, and maintain a gradebook. RCampus provides all of the tools you would expect to find in an online course management system. Through RCampus you can post assignments, host discussion forums, post videos, post images, post links, collect assignments, and manage a gradebook.

Report profiles key emerging technologies for K-12

Report profiles key emerging technologies for K-12
The New Media Consortium (NMC) today released the 2010 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition, the second in an annual series of reports focused on emerging technology use in elementary and secondary education. The report identifies and describes six emerging technologies that will likely have a significant impact on K-12 education in the next one to five years.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Ning: Failures, Lessons and Six Alternatives

Ning: Failures, Lessons and Six Alternatives
Ning, the network of social networks that boasted 20 million visitors a month, is making massive staff cutbacks and has announced a complete end to free services for its users. Those who pay for premium services will be asked to pay more, and those who are getting their social networks free of charge will be asked to fork over or phase off the Ning platform.

Save My Ning

Save My Ning.com - Home
Save My Ning is an archive service that will allow you to backup your existing Ning Network on our webservers for free. We will host ads on the sites in order to cover the cost much like your Ning Network had ads. However, you will not be able to post to your archive, only read it. For continuing your community, we recommend any of the services listed to the side.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Replacing Etherpad with TypeWith.Me

One EtherPad Replacement « Tablet Talk
Source: Jane’s eLearning Pick of the Day

Site: TypeWith.Me

There is a super simple and ultra functional website called Etherpad. Etherpad allows you to create a document that multiple people can edit at once. It can be handy for collaboration with other teachers, creating a super-simple wiki page and a few dozen other uses. There are other sites which allow similar functionality, but what sets etherpad apart is that you can create and share a new page without an account (type in to your browser http://etherpad.com/xxx where xxx=what you want your page to be titled). Another thing that sets etherpad apart is the simple chat function in the bottom corner of the page. It allows users to discuss things before they set them down on the page.

So if etherpad is so great, why would you ever use anything that was similar? Well, etherpad was purchased by google (have you heard of them?) and the technology behind the product is going to be used in other products that google offers.

Google will not be keeping etherpad up and running, but to their credit they have made the source code available to other designers. The first (that I’m aware of) replacement is TypeWith.Me and is linked up at the top of the page. You can navigate to the site and create a pad (or you can place http://typewith.me/xxx in your brower’s URL bar, where xxx is your desired title) and start collaborating on shared documents!

If you want to just ’see’ what a pad looks like before you create one, click here:

http://typewith.me/tablettalk

There are likely to be be more and more etherpad replacement on the horizon. Enjoy.

Friday, April 09, 2010

Myths and Opportunities: Technology in the Classroom by Alan November

This seems very aligned to my feelings on how we need to be teaching - well done and thanks Alan!

Myths and Opportunities: Technology in the Classroom by Alan November

Myths and Opportunities: Technology in the Classroom by Alan November from Brian Mull on Vimeo.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Google for Educators: The Best Features for Busy Teachers

Google for Educators: The Best Features for Busy Teachers | Edutopia
Among all the links and downloads out there, it can be hard for teachers to know which ones work best. Google has made it easier by creating Google for Educators, which compiles some of the search engine's most useful features in one place. Whether you're teaching Spanish or social studies, mathematics or music, there's a free Google feature that will make your lessons more dynamic and your projects more organized. The lively, informative Web site offers step-by-step visual tours and even videos to help you get set up. Below are some of the most useful features the site has to offer:

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Guiding students on the web

Home | JOG THE WEB
JOG THE WEB is a web-based tool that allows anyone to create a synchronous guide to a series of web sites.

Its step by step approach of taking viewers through web sites allowing the author to annotate and ask guiding questions for each page is unique.

Give it a try and start creating your own Jogs.


Thursday, February 25, 2010

Tools to create digital stories

CogDogRoo - Storytools
The Fifty Tools
Below you will find 50+ web tools you can use to create your own web-based story. Again, the mission is not to review or try every single one (that would be madness, I know), but pick one that sounds interesting and see if you can produce something. I have used each tool to produce an example of the original Dominoe story, plus links are provided, where available, to examples by other people. Please share your own examples or thoughts in the discussion area of this wiki.

But before rummaging around the toolbox, have you done your prep work? Do you have your story idea or presentation concept outlined, developed? This should be on paper or in a document file or scribbled on the back of a napkin, but do not rely on making it up as you go! If not, go back 2 spaces and do this now. Next- do you have your media assets available, your images, video clips, audio files-- if not go find your media now.


A New way to Blog?

Glogster – Poster Yourself | Text, Images, Music and Video
Glogster EDU is your original educational resource for innovative and interactive learning. Glogster EDU was conceived to imaginatively, productively, and collaboratively respond to the dynamic educational landscape and exceed the needs of today’s educators and learners. We value the participation of educators and strive to assimilate their contributions to Glogster EDU, Glogster EDU is yours! Educators from all over the world are integrating Glogster EDU’s resourceful platform to make traditional learning more dynamic, more interactive and more in tune with learners today. Most importantly Glogster EDU is FUN for teachers and learners alike!


Wednesday, February 24, 2010

100 Apps for Tech–Savvy Teachers
100 Apps for Tech–Savvy Teachers

Teachers have one of the most difficult jobs out there. As an educator, you have to manage a classroom of boisterous students, organize heaps of data, stay up–to–date with current events and plan lessons day in and day out. In today’s technologically linked world, the ability to use web applications is at your advantage as an educator, and we are here to tell you the best tools to use. So if you teach at an online college, or in a traditional classroom, here is a collection of 100 web and iPhone applications that make the grade for tech–savvy teachers:


Sunday, February 21, 2010

Letter to an administrator

I could not agree with this more - leaders need to think and act for the students.

Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Dear Administrator: Focus
Dear Administrator: Focus


Thursday, February 11, 2010

Online Professional Learning - Recordings Available

Online Professional Learning Program – January 2010 - News and Events - Research and Innovation - Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
In January 2010, the Department offered a program of free, online conferences to support teacher professional learning. The program of web conferences covered the domains of Literacy, Maths, Science and ICT.

A synopsis and an online recording of each session are available via the links below.


Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Nine Myths about Public Schools

Gerald Bracey: Nine Myths About Public Schools
None of this will likely strike you as particularly new, but it might be good to have a bunch of myths lined up and debunked all in one place.