Post #18 - Versal - GoNoodle - Guided Access on iPad

I found this site on a podcast I have recommended before: Cult of Pedagogy it's a great resource for any teacher to easily create engaging interactive lessons for students.
The site is Versal access it here.  I would suggest creating a free teacher account and getting started today.

Great tool for keeping your kids focused and healthy in class!
http://blog.gonoodle.com/

GoNoodle - enjoy a creative break.

IPads in your classroom?
Trying to keep your kids constrained to the project at hand?
To use "Guided Access"
Go to Settings, select General then choose Accessibility then Guided Access.  Turn Guided Access on, set a passcode that controls the use of Guided Access and prevents someone from leaving an active session.  Choose if you want to allow the device to sleep while in guided access.  Once you have configured guided access, you can start a session by opening the app you want to use, then triple click the home button, choose the settings you want then tap start
Open the app you want to use.  To exit the session triple tap the home button and enter password you configured.
See the video below

#19 - Google Keep & You Tube Playlists

If you like sticky notes, you will love Google Keep.  Keep your to do lists, appointments and reminders synchronized from your computer to your phone.
Check out the quick "how to video"




If you're teaching classes and want to have your students use You Tube videos you should take advantage of a feature called Playlists.  You can preview videos and create a playlist that has several appropriate videos.  You can share your playlists with your students via several methods like, Google Classroom, Google Slides or by embedding in a web page.
Watch a short video on how to create a google playlist.

Post #17 - Diigo / Bloomz & a Tip on how to Integrate the writing process in your classroom

Bloomz

Free Parent communication tool.

What is Bloomz?

Bloomz is the easy to use, secure app that connects parents, teachers, and school administrators to build stronger communities around children.  Bloomz helps teachers save time in their communication with Parents.  Parents stay engaged with their school community, and on top of their child's world.  And, schools can deeply connect and coordinate with their community, effectively increasing engagement, satisfaction and retention.

Take a look at Bloomz Overview Video:

DIIGO

Free online bookmark tool to help you access your favorite bookmarks and sites wherever you are on any computer or device.

Excellent tool that is easy to use.  

From Cult of Pedagogy here are 7 great tools for supporting student writing in any content area.  source:  http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/pod/

Post #15 - Reflections for summer and preparation for 2015 School Year

Congratulations on another successful school year!  Kudos to those of you that took advantage of any technology tips or tricks we shared this year.

3 - 30's on digital trends in the classroom:  I found this interesting and found myself comparing what we have promoted this year and think its valuable to guide what we investigate for next year.  If you have the time take a look and use the information to guide your summer pursuits of technology self enhancement.  Here's the original article:  

Trending Up

1. Teacherpreneurs
2. Decentralizing academic standards
3. Rethinking data in the classroom
4. Adaptive learning algorithms
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Focus on non-fiction, digital media
7. Depth of content
8. Experimentation with new learning models (including flipped classroom, sync learning, blended learning, etc.)
9. Teacher self-directed PD, webinars, streams, etc.
10. College as a choice
11. Collaborative learning
12. Digital Literacy
13. Focus on learning spaces
14. Design thinking
15. Mindfulness, meditation, downtime
16. Teacher as guide-on-the-side
17. Gamification of content
18. Genius hour, maker hour, collaboration time
19. Workflows
20. Cloud-based word processing
21. Mainstreaming + co-teaching
22. Platform Agnosticism
23. Librarian as digital media specialist
24. YouTube channels, Google Chromecast, AppleTV
25. Apps like Storehouse
26. 1:1 tablets/devices
27. Project-Based Learning
28. Mobile-first #edtech design
29. The innovation of apps
30. Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive

Awkward Middle Ground

1. Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc.
2. “Accountability”
3. Professional Learning Communities
4. Differentiation
5. Computer coding
6. Traditional reading lists of truly great literature
7. Pure creativity
8. Self-directed learning
9. Massive in-person education conferences
10. Colleges in general
11. Experiential learning
12. Cultural Literacy
13. The physical design of most school buildings and universities
14. Memorization of prioritized content that leads to design thinking
15. Debate
16. Pressure on systems
17. Gamification-as-grading-system
18. Tutoring
19. To-do lists
20. Cloud-based learning
21. One teach, one drift/prompt/observe
22. Moving from one OS to another (e.g., from Android to Windows Phone)
23. Librarian/DMS as bibliophile
24. Online encyclopedias
25. Apps like Prezi
26. Socioeconomic disparity
27. Mobile learning
28. Mobile assessment
29. Honest-to-goodness free apps
30. iCloud

Trending Down

1. Mass education publishers
2. Common Core standards, Race to the Top
3. Data Teams
4. Scripted curricula
5. Draconian district filters
6. Humanities
7. Coverage of content
8. “21st century learning” as a phrase or single idea
9. The perceived quality of teacher certification & training programs
10. College as the standard
11. MOOCs
12. Agricultural Literacy
13. The traditional classroom
14. “Low-level” recall of easily accessed data (facts) or skills (arithmetic)
15. Lessons that favor “verbally expressive” students
16. Pressure on teachers
17. Standards-based grading; pass/fail; student retention
18. Increased “instructional hours”
19. Whole class processes
20. Flash drives, hard drives, CDs, emailing files
21. Alternative schools/classrooms for special needs students
22. Apple-centric thinking
23. Librarian as no-nonsense, ruler-wielding taskmaster
24. Cable television, subscription-based content streaming
25. Apps like PowerPoint
26. Oversimplifying BYOD thinking
27. “Doing projects”
28. Mobilizing non-mobile content
29. In-app purchase gouging
30. Dropbox

Heres a great link to an article I recently read regarding digital citizenship and addressing it the first 5 days of your school year in 2015.  Here's a teaser from the top of the article.

This article was originally published on Edudemic on August 19th.  Click here for the whole article:

Digital citizenship is not a one time discussion. It is an ongoing process that needs to be taught to all grade levels and to all stakeholders. The problem is that things are changing so rapidly that it is difficult for everyone to keep up to date with the trends.  Everyone has to be educated and develop an understanding of the role digital citizenship plays in our everyday lives. There is so much that goes into being a digital citizen; from taking photos of others to knowing when it is appropriate to share something online.

Our students are like cowboys living in the wild wild west. Without any guidelines or structure they can get in a lot of trouble. Armed with a concrete plan for teaching about appropriate use you can guide your students to become better digital citizens, who will learn how to build their digital presence in a positive and productive way.

If you have any success stories from the year and would like to share them, feel free to email me or comment them in the blog.