Edutopia has a great post Technology Tools for the First Week of School, by Mary Beth Hertz. Mary Beth has created a Google Doc that is a result of Twitter Tweets and contains lots of great ideas for technology tools. Check it out, I am sure you will find an idea you can use in your classroom.
Making the Case for Social Media in Education
by Betty Ray
During the time it takes me to write this intro (approx. one minute), 42,000 people will update their Facebook status, 36,000 tweets will be sent, and fifteen hours of video will be uploaded to YouTube.
Undoubtedly, the world as we know it is quickly becoming wired through social media. Our guest blogger, Steve Johnson (@edtechsteve) sheds some light on the current state of social media in schools and even provides some handy talking points to make the case to lift internet filters within schools.
–Betty Ray, Community Manager (@EdutopiaBetty) and Elana Leoni, Social Media Marketing Coordinator (@elanaleoni)
The 3/9/10 #edchat discussion was another example of the most scrolling fun you can have in an hour on the Internet. The topic this time was “How can social media create real change in education?”
Right away, folks got busy reframing the question in more “real” terms:
Rural schools serviced by small independent telephone companies are eligible for grants to improve technology resources. Grants of up to $10,000 will be given to increase technology use in the classroom. Equipment, curriculum, and training are appropriate uses of grant funds.
Six specific evaluation criteria will be used to score applications, and priority will be given to applications, which show strong collaboration between the school, community, and telephone company.
- Grant Organization: Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative
- Contact URL: http://www.fred.org/tech.html…
- Eligibility: Any public K-12 school located in the service area of an OPASTCO telephone company
- Grant Deadline: Friday September 17th, 2010
- Grant Value: Multiple awards of $1,000 to $10,000
Great art speaks powerfully, inspires fresh thinking, and connects us to our past. As a teacher with a degree in art and who is passionate about it, I am excited.
To access the resources, Book and Images,
Resource Book (it is basically a step-by-step guide)
PowerPoint of the Images- scroll to the bottom of the page to access the download link.
Picturing America, an exciting new initiative from the National Endowment for the Humanities, brings masterpieces of American art into classrooms and libraries nationwide. Through this innovative program, students and citizens will gain a deeper appreciation of our country’s history and character through the study and understanding of its art.
The nation’s artistic heritage—our paintings, sculpture, architecture, fine crafts, and photography—offers unique insights into the character, ideals, and aspirations of our country.
Picturing America, a far-reaching new program from the National Endowment for the Humanities in cooperation with the American Library Association, brings this vital heritage to all Americans.
By bringing high-quality reproductions of notable American art into public and private schools, libraries, and communities, Picturing America gives participants the opportunity to learn about our nation’s history and culture in a fresh and engaging way. The program uses art as a catalyst for the study of America—the cultural, political, and historical threads woven into our nation’s fabric over time.
Collectively, the masterpieces in Picturing America, used in conjunction with the Teachers Resource Book and program Web site, help students experience the humanity of history and enhance the teaching and understanding of America’s past.”
I read in today’s Parade Sunday Magazine that actor, Tony Danza is teaching high school English in Philadelphia. Here is a news story from a TV station in Philly http://www.redlasso.com/ClipPlayer.aspx?id=d69514f1-c56d-4a83-8df8-0590b957070e
“After more than 30 years in entertainment as an actor, talk show host, Broadway star, cookbook author, pro boxer and song and dance man, Tony Danza faces his toughest audience to date – high school students. Long before the launch of Danza’s showbiz career, he hoped to be a teacher and even earned a degree in history to pursue that dream.”
Link to the show on A & E TV : http://www.aetv.com/teach-tony-danza/
About the SHOW: Long before his iconic acting career, which includes roles in “Taxi” and “Who’s The Boss,” Tony Danza received a degree in History Education. During the 2009-2010 school year, he took on his most challenging and rewarding role yet as he stepped into the classroom as a full-time teacher at Philadelphia’s Northeast High School. “Teach Tony Danza” follows the first year-teacher as he instructs a 10th-grade English class with 26 students.
The show airs beginning October 1 at 8:00 central time on A & E TV.
OK, I am curious. Guess I will be watching to see how it goes. I applaud him, but, I really think we need to put congressmen and senators in this position and then have conversations about education and teaching. Bet it would be a very different conversation if they had to spend a week or two doing what teachers do every day. By the way, they have to live on what teachers make during that time too!! I wonder if Tony did?
Sure wish A&E TV had an iPad App like ABC does!!
http://teachwithyouripad.wikispaces.com/
Now that you have bought your iPad, what are the questions you need to ask?
1. What is an iPAD?
2. Will the iPAD replace my laptop?
3. How can I load software on the iPAD?
4. How do I teach with it?
This wiki is an amazing find, lots of good resources, questions, answers and ideas. Check it out at: http://teachwithyouripad.wikispaces.com/
- Audio Apps
- Best Apps for tasks
- Creating App Pages
- Data Collection apps
- Drawing Apps
- Foreign Language Apps
- Grade 3-5 Apps
- Grade 6-8 Apps
- Grade 9-12 Apps
- Grade College Apps
- Grade K-2 Apps
- Grade Lifelong Learning Apps
- Group Collaboration using iPADs
- Image Manipulation Apps
- iPad Accessories
- iPad Apps
- iPAD Apps Review 1-I
- iPAD Apps Review J-P
- iPAD Apps Review Q-Z
- iPAD Friendly Web Page
- iPAD Student Work Station
- iPhone configuration utility
- Language Arts Apps
- Math Apps
- Office Apps
- Other iPAD websites to check out
- Out of the Package
- Playing Review Games
- PollDaddy Survey
- Projection Apps
- Science Apps
- Social Studies Apps
- Special Education Apps
- Technology Education Apps
- Text Apps
- Usng Audience Response with the iPAD
- Video Apps
From the blog The Pursuit of Technology Integration Happiness has a great post on using Flip cameras, and he has a nice comprehensive list by content area of ideas. Can you add ideas to this list?
Social Studies
1.) Have students portray a President and recreate a famous speech
2.) Act out a time period in history
3.) Use for Mock Trial to record “evidence” at a scene of a crime
4.) Create advertisements for products when teaching Economics
5.) Create advertisement for inventions in history
6.) Interview family members
7.) Create Propaganda Techniques
8.) Film “On The Scene” news clips as if a news reporter from an event in history
9.) Create a movie trailer about an event in history, or even a biography of a person from history
10.)Create a music video for any of the subject matter
Science
1.) Record experiments and then include in a Glog instead of doing the standard lab write up
2.) Create video advertisements for all the Elements on the Periodic table and how they are used in real life
3.) Create a Music video…like these
4.) Interview people in different science careers and bring in for career day activities
5.) Video Science in action – life cycle, hydro-logic cycle, chemical reactions, etc
6.) Create How-To videos explaining the steps in scientific and physic processes
Mathematics
1.) Give to students to take home. Have the work out and explain a math problem. Then bring in to school and let the student share with the class
2.) Take a camera out and measure different angles in the school/community for a geometry lesson
3.) Create a “Math in my Life” video journal. Have students record when they use math in their daily lives and share at the end of the semester.
4.) Create How to videos over mathematics and formulas
5.) Have students record your explanations of math problems in your classroom and then make them available on the web or put them on their flash-drive for them to use for homework.
English
1.) Create a movie trailer for a book they are reading in the class
2.) Create a monologue for a poem from class. Catch the emotion of a poem.
3.) Allow students to record a speech instead of giving the speech in front of the class if nerves keep them from full potential
4.) Record students doing the My Three Words Campaign
5.) Recreate scenes from a play or short story
6.) Record a skit of dialogue from a section of a book.
Foreign Language
1.) Have students create common words translation videos
2.) Have students record a certain artifact and then translate it on video
3.) Have students go around school/town and translate popular spots, places, etc into the foreign language
ALL SUBJECTS
1.) Create a review video for students to use for exams and show on school news.
2.) Take on Field Trips and share with students via school news
3.) Record classroom discussions
4.) Record your lecture and make available as podcast, for viewing on your website, or on a flash-drive
5.) Record a daily vocabulary word and act out definition.
I have had an iPad since May and this semester (fall 2010) I have a class of pre-service teachers that I was Santa Claus and gave them all an iPad. Boy, was that a fun day in class and a huge surprise for them. Anyway, WE (my student and I) are doing lots of exploring and using of our iPads. We are on the lookout for articles, blog posts and anything we can find about iPad and using them as a teacher, as a student and in the classroom with kids. Today in Ed Galaxy: Where Education and Technology Meet, Kevin Cummins has an interesting post 5 Apps that will make you a more productive teacher. I agree with Kevin when he says there is no shortage of apps and like Keven we are all wondering if it might just replace our laptops in the classroom. What do you think?
Kevin recommends the following apps and to read his full post, CLICK HERE
Numbers for iPad: wow, first on Kevin’s list, but would not be first for me. I don’t even use Numbers or even Excel on my laptop, just not a spreadsheet person, in fact, I run kicking & screaming when somebody wants me to use spreadsheets. But, I also know I am not normal! I am sure I just need to get over it!
GoodReader for iPad: “access your documents including pdf files, MS office documents, iWork, html files, hi res photos, up to 1 gig in size and even audio and video straight from your school or home network in seconds via wireless or USB cable.“ I have installed, but have not used it yet, so no opinion, do you have an opinion?
DropBox for iPad: Dropbox is software that syncs your files online and across your computers. Put your files into your Dropbox on one computer, and they’ll be instantly available on any of your other computers that you’ve installed Dropbox on (Windows, Mac, and Linux too!) Because a copy of your files are stored on Dropbox’s secure servers, you can also access them from any computer or mobile device using the Dropbox website. HINT: read the instructions and watch the tutorial video, it is save you time in the long run. Again, I have installed, but have only used a little.
Omnifocus all in one organization tool for iPad but is one of the more expensive iPad apps at $37.99. OmniFocus for iPad combines the in-depth task management functionality of a desktop app with the advanced mobile experience of the iPad. With flexible viewing options, location-aware task lists, and on-the-fly task entry with voice notes and image attachments, OmniFocus for iPad is the trusted system you need for managing everything in your busy life. Wow, 37.99, I have to come up some really compleeling reasons to need it to fork over that much money.
Pogo Sketch: OK, I like this idea, I bought one of these for my iPhone to make typing text messages easier, but I kept loosing them. But since I got my iPad, I kept thinking I would like a stylus of some type. I also noticed in the Sunday Flyer for Best Buy, that they have a Tagus Stylus for iPad. And of course, there are others, here is a link to the BoxWave site with a variety of different brands, features and prices for iPad Stylus. I think a stylus is in my very near future. And with the Stylus, WritePad looks to be a good handwriting app.
Evernote: I have written about this before and I have to admit that I still have not given it a good try. But Kevin feels it is is a must have app.
By the end of this week (hopefully Friday), there will be a post about the top apps my class has landed on, I hope you will be back to learn what these future teachers have to say.
Click on Comments and tell us what your favorite apps for education or personally are so far.
Teacher Sabrina Stevens Shupe, who founded the Failing Schools Project to help empower teachers and students in low-performing schools, discusses in this blog post the six characteristics that are common to schools that are being considered for turnaround or are undergoing the reform. Shupe, who has worked in struggling schools in Denver and Philadelphia, has found that labeling schools “needs improvement” and emphasizing high-stakes testing over learning creates a toxic culture and actually perpetuates the cycle of failure.
Read the full story: Teacher Magazine (free registration)/Living in Dialogue blog
Students at Florida’s Clearwater High School are using Kindle e-readers instead of textbooks this year as part of a new initiative. The students will have access to all of their texts on the district-owned Kindles, as well as additional features that allow them to take notes and highlight text as well as access word definitions and text-to-speech technology. The school opted for e-readers over laptops because of the lower cost, which is roughly equal to the price of two textbooks, the principal said.
Read the full story, T.H.E. Journal (9/2)
Be a part of the excitement!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The 2nd annual ASSET Educator Institute… EXPERIENCE PBS for PreK, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 Educators and early childhood care providers! 4 Strands… LITERACY… SOCIAL STUDIES… STEM… ARTS… NATIONALLY recognized programming… NATIONALLY researched resources… LOCALLY aligned/standards-based resources. SPACE is LIMITED! TEAMS of staffs encouraged to attend. Professional development hours provided for participation.
The Pump Challenge
How much did Americans pay for a gallon of gas at the pump in 1920? How much money would that be in 2005 dollars, and 2010?.
Time saving tip: Formulate a search query before starting the timer. Time to beat 10 minutes!
After speaking at the annual TED conference in Long Beach, California, twelve-year-old teacher, speaker, and author Adora Svitak wanted to bring a TED-like experience home to Redmond, Washington. “I had such a great experience during my first time at TED, but I realized that not everyone had such an opportunity,” she explained. “Through TEDxRedmond, I’m hoping to share the magic of TED in an independently organized event.”
Learn it in 5 is a must see resource for every teacher. It has lesson ideas, video tutorials, visionary apps and loads of tools and content you can access quickly and easily. This has some real useful content and I am sure you will find something new and innovative to try with your students.
Check it out here.
Clorox Power a Bright Future grants provide necessary resources to help support school programs that enrich children’s lives. There are three grant categories: “Learn,” which includes education-focused programs, such as establishing a school recycling program; “Play,” which includes sports and exercise-focused programs, such as building a playground; and “Create,” which includes arts-focused programs, such as establishing an after-school music program. Anyone at least 18 years old at time of entry can nominate an accredited K–12, public or private school program for a chance to win a $50,000 grant or one of three $20,000 grants. Deadline: September 27, 2010 for nominations
World History for Us All is a FREE, Web-based curriculum that has two major elements: a logical conceptual framework of guiding ideas, objectives, rationales, themes and historical periods; and a rich selection of units, lessons, activities, primary documents and other resources linked to the overarching conceptual structure. The curriculum proposes the idea that humankind as a whole has a history to be investigated and that a world history course may be more than a study of various “cultures,” each disconnected from the others. The framework’s unified chronology organizes the human past into nine Big Eras, each encompassing changes around the globe. The curriculum does not use civilizations as the main units of history, but developments within major societies are richly explored.
The principal of a Pennsylvania middle school is proposing a two-year pilot program that would have six teachers and about 120 students using iPad tablet computers in the classroom. “With the iPad, our students would be able to jump on at any point to do a quick search or even use apps pertinent to what they are learning,” Principal David Muench said, adding that the devices could also cut classroom-material costs. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10245/1084330-55.stm#ixzz0yOwxhb4C
Institute of Education, University of London just published a new study that says:
“Children do better in their exams when their teachers focus on learning, rather than on test results.”
Chris Watkins believes that schools have two challenges:
- To recognize that passing tests is not the goal of education, but a by-product of effective learning.
- To recognize that even when we want pupils to do their best in tests, pressure and performance orientation will not achieve it.
Read more at: IOE – Focus on results can make children do worse, study finds. The study doesn’t seem to be online, but this article is worth reading. I am going to walk out on a limb here, I believe we need leadership that shares this perspective and research finding. AND changes in educational leaders at state and national levels who have the courage to stand up to the destructive educational policies of the NCLB. NCLB, No Child Left Behind seems to be leaving many children behind!!
There are several technology tools that teachers should use within weeks after school begins, according to an elementary-school computer teacher. Mary Beth Hertz suggests — with the help of subscribers to her Twitter feed — that teachers use programs called QuickieQ and AnswerGarden to survey students and their parents on the first day back at school. She also suggests the social-networking site Twiducate, which is designed especially for students. Hertz also includes information about Prezi, which can be used to create classroom presentations similar to PowerPoint.
To read the full story and access all the resources: Edutopia.org/Mary Beth Hertz’s blog
