Thursday, December 13, 2012

A Great Twitter Cheat Sheet for Teachers

A Great Twitter Cheat Sheet for Teachers

I am currently working on an eBook about the use of Twitter in education which I will be offering here for free in the next few coming weeks. I also have other free surprises for you and I will probably let them be special gifts to you on New Year's Eve. However, as I was reading some of the resources other educators have written on Twitter I came across this awesome  graphic by Dr Kimberly. As you can see , the graphic is really well designed and contains most of the things you need to know about Twitter . Until I post my comprehensive eBook , I will let you enjoy this graphic and will also direct you to our Twitter section here on Educational Technology and Mobile Learning for more resources on this social networking platform.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

5 ways to use Google Sites in Schools

Free Technology for Teachers: 5 Ways to Use Google Sites in Schools
Over the last two weeks I've had five occasions to work with teachers to either develop new websites or improve existing websites in Google Sites. Over the course of these workshops I've found that there are five ways that Google Sites are commonly being used in schools.

Before you jump to the list, the shameless promotion department at Free Technology for Teachers would like to mention that you should see Google Sites for Teachers if you need help getting started using Google Sites.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

19 handy Google tricks that you weren’t aware of

19 handy Google tricks that you weren’t aware of - The Next Web
After covering everything that Google Search has to offer, you can easily forge that search only forms one small part of the Google behemoth. With so many different features and clients available, it’s very easy to use the basic features for each and leave it at that.

Monday, December 10, 2012

7 tips for school leaders

SchoolCIO Blogs - DAILY INSIGHT: 7 tips for doing first things first
DAILY INSIGHT: 7 tips for doing first things first
By Miguel Guhlin

Over the years, I've had the chance to chat with many CTOs and tech directors Directors about starting out in a new place of employment. This list of 7 tips for "new" CTOs on what to do first is based on those conversations. If you're one of the CTOs I chatted with, you'll be sure to recognize your tip(s) in the list below. If you read the list and don't see something that you believe is critical, please share in the comments!

45+ Teacher recommended apps

45+ Teacher Recommended Educational Apps : Teacher Reboot Camp
Part of the Cool Sites series and Mobile Learning category

Educators are beginning to see the potential of using mobile devices and apps for ongoing professional development as well as to improve literacy and cognitive development for learners. Apps are equipped with several features that motivate learners to create stories, presentations, and projects that are hands-on and use their creativity as well as their critical thinking skills. Once an app is downloaded, many features can be accessed without an Internet connection. Educators can also use various apps at conferences to connect with other educators or capture a presentation. Below are the various apps nominated by teachers for an Edublog Award so they must be worth checking out. Each has a link and a description. Make sure to check out the Edublog Awards for blogs, wikis, and web tools that teachers worldwide have recommended

My favorite web tools of 2012

- My Favourite Web Tools of 2012
As we are approaching the New Year, I thought it would be great to look back to catch with some great web tools.

BuildYourWildSelf is a tool that you can use to attach different animal parts to a human body and share it as a link or as a print out with others.

ShutterCal is a picture calendar where you can upload your pictures on a calendar for each day and write your text to share it with others.

Storybird is a collaborative digital storytelling tool which lets you to become the writer and the publisher of your own books. You can search from professional artists’ artwork to start building up your story and you can set up a class account, work and moderate your students’ works easily.........

13 Wiki Tools you should know about

13 Wiki Tools Teachers should Know about
Wikis are great learning and teaching tools. They have some distinctive features that you cannot find elsewhere particularly the collaborative feature they provide to its users. Several teachers from all around the globe embrace wikis in their classrooms and use them to create a student friendly environment where to enhance what is being taught in the classroom. If you are not yet familiar with how to use wikis in education or you want to learn more about how to integrate them into your lessons , here are some interesting posts to start with :


1- Teachers Guide on The Use of Wikis in Education
2- 6 Important Wikipedia Tools for Teachers
3- This is how to Set up A Wiki for your Class
4- Great Wiki Apps for iPad


Today we are providing you with a list of different wiki platforms. We did not include Wikipedia because it is taken for granted that everybody knows about it . Check out this list and share with us your suggestions or comments. Enjoy

Does the use of Twitter Improve Education?

Does the use of Twitter Improve Education? | Connected Principals
There has been post after post acknowledging how educators love Twitter while also encouraging others to use it themselves. With that though comes skeptics (as there should be), questioning whether the use of Twitter is beneficial to educators. I have thought about that question a lot and I can give a definitive answer: yes and no ( I am 100% certain of this).

Why Students Should Use Twitter - Edudemic

Why Students Should Use Twitter - Edudemic
I must admit I was skeptical and originally questioned the validity of Twitter. I initially viewed Twitter as just a tedious free service that lets you send a 140-character message, or “tweet to your followers” of lackluster and hum-drum information. I was not really interested in reading about the location of someone checking in on Four Square or what he or she was eating for dinner.

See Also: It’s Official: Using Twitter Makes Students More Engaged

Yet, I was totally surprised at all the benefits that Twitter provides to high school and college students.

Every student should use Twitter. Here’s why:

Thursday, December 06, 2012

How Students Can Blog Without An Email Address

Free Technology for Teachers: How Students Can Blog Without An Email Address
How Students Can Blog Without An Email Address
Disclosure: Edublogs is an advertiser on this blog.

Earlier today Edublogs announced that students can now blog on Edublogs even if they don't have email addresses. Students can create a blog or become authors on other blogs without having to submit an email address to Edublogs. To get started students will simply need to choose a user name and password before writing their first blog posts. If they desire, students can submit email addresses later (which is useful for password recovery).