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"The modern classroom is a messy one! Schools are entering the world of technology at different speeds and levels; some institutions have invested in full 1:1 programs where the school selects a single device (such as iPads or Chromebooks); others have instituted Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) initiatives, some specify a single device while others permit a broader selection; and most of us operate in some type of hybrid environment where students have access to a device at school, such as a tool issued to them, a computer lab, and/or laptop cart and/or a device they have access to at home or even bring with them. As technology becomes more ubiquitous both at home and in the classroom, we find ourselves in a more blended world. As educators in the 21st century, we must be prepared to tackle education in an environment that is cross-platform and multi-device."

"The American Red Cross has a handful of apps on weather safety for iPad users looking to plan and prepare for natural disasters.  They also have a great iPad app to help students of any age stay safe.  With First Aid children can learn about different ways to act in situations that require first aid.  There are photographs, informational text, and diagrams to help students understand the best steps to take in an emergency.  First Aid includes extra features including the ability to switch from English to Spanish and a quiz to check for understanding."

"Students at Snowflake Unified School District created a low cost detection system to alert drivers of animal crossing. Students were split into three teams; the software/hardware team, the design team, and the fabrication team. Community members assisted in tasks, such as cutting the metal and Plexiglas needed for the prototype. Students created a working alert system that uses motion detection and signals to light up roads with animal crossings."

"6.30am Wake up. Check notifications on iPad while eating breakfast. Received an email late last night from a student asking for clarification on a homework task. Answer e-mail. Cross fingers that the student gets the task done before the first session, which is when it is due."

"Whether you teach KS1 or KS2, there are apps that will have your class totally enthralled as they create their own iPad games. As a great cross curricular tool, these apps will have the creative juices truly flowing as your children design their own games. "

"ArtSet was an impressive app that I was introduced to last week. I was presenting at a conference and one of the organisers asked if a number of the presenters could go through a workflow to illustrate how a series of apps might be able to be used to deepen student learning. The idea was the the product of one app would become the input for the next. The story of The Lion and the Mouse was suggested as an idea. Each presenter was given three minutes only. There was a cross section of both primary and secondary teachers in the group."

"The opportunities for learning through the use of digital gaming are diverse and massive. The speed and ease in which basic game development can be achieved using apps such as Sketch Nation can provide a platform for outstanding cross-curricular projects and really make an impact on progress, standards and pupil independence. This blog post describes one project (upper KS2) which could easily be adapted to suit Key Stage 1 or expanded to meet the needs of Key Stage 3 pupils, and to support almost any topic/subject. 1:1 use of iPods enabled maximum pupil engagement but fewer devices could have been used if pupils collaborated in groups"

"There are a number of apps that are being released that give us direct and instant access to real time data to events and happenings around the world. These apps allow the students in the classroom to have the same data and information that authorities, scientists and researcher have. This is important form the students point of view as it makes the learning more real."

"Sphero balls have become a staple part of many schools Makerspaces and mine is no different. They really do offer amazing creativity and deep learning through visual programming with strong links to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths) problem solving skills and computational thinking.  CompNow ran a competition this year to promote the use of Sphero's in education and in particular how they can be included in all areas of the curriculum. It was timely that the Olympics were recently held in Rio and provided an interesting cross curricula topic."

For Halloween 2016, I did a version of Halloween Wars (a Food Network show) with my two classes of gifted elementary learners. I am sharing this lesson through my blog post as it reinforces how I approach lesson planning and teaching. Background Information Principles that drive my instructional approach. regardless of theme, include: Instructional challenges are hands-on and naturally engaging for learners. There is a game-like atmosphere. There are elements of play, leveling up, and a sense of mastery or achievement during the instructional activities. The challenges are designed to be novel and create excitement and joy for learners. There is a healthy competition where the kids have to compete against one another. Learners don't need to be graded about their performances as built-in consequences are natural. There is a natural building of social emotional skills - tolerance for frustration, expression of needs, working as a team. Lessons are interdisciplinary (like life) where multiple, cross-curricular content areas are integrated into the instructional activities."

"In case you hadn't noticed, I'm quite a fan of the iPad (the Lollipop Nexus 9's not too bad either). Not because of its design or because its by Apple or any of that, but because of its keen heritage in the learning arena. Any one who knows me will tell you that I am not one for using tech for tech's sake, despite my evangelist moniker. Use of technology in a cross curricular sense should be measured and done with consideration for the best potential learning outcomes. With all that said, I've been doing this for quite some time now and I thought it time that I shared some of the Apps that have stuck by me or have struck me for their ease of use and impact upon learning in the classroom. Rather than blog about each one however or write in depth about each one either, I've done this in the form of a small poster, with the apps icons on."

" According to the latest EQAO report, half of Ontario Grade 6 students don't meet the curriculum standard in math. That's a problem. But it's not the only one. What worries me is that only 13 per cent of students who didn't meet the provincial standard when they were in Grade 3 manage to catch up so they meet the standard for Grade 6. That's the lowest number on that indicator in five years. If you fall behind in math you stay behind. That's why it's important to get it right, not just at some vague moment in the future, but for kids who are in Ontario schools right now. Fortunately, every parent in Ontario is sure they know how to teach math. Many parents want to get rid of "discovery math," broadly defined as "doing it weird." If only that loopy Liberal government would teach math the way we learned it when we were kids, the theory goes, there'd be no problem. Sure, great, except for one thing. Very few parents I've met can perform more than the most rudimentary arithmetic for themselves. If you all learned math so well, why do you inch toward Junior's algebra homework with a cross and a bulb of garlic?"

This book has been written and designed primarily with English language teachers in mind though the majority of the resources and tools contained in the book will have much wider use than just language teaching. The book contains more than 70 tools and resources and these have been hand picked because they represent a broad cross-section of what is at present available.

"When you're entering the United States, whether at an airport or a border crossing, federal agents have broad authority to search citizens and visitors alike. And that can include flipping through your phone, computer, and any other electronic devices you have with you. As US Customs and Border Protection outlines in a tearsheet it provides to people at the border, federal agents can seize and search your phone, and even make a copy of it to have forensic experts analyze its contents off-site."

""You may think you are prepared for a post-truth world, in which political appeals to emotion count for more than statements of verifiable fact," writes Margaret Sullivan, media columnist for The Washington Post. "But now it's time to cross another bridge-into a world without facts. Or, more precisely, where facts do not matter a whit." ADVERTISEMENT Because I teach American history, government, and journalism in high school, Sullivan's words hit close to home. I spoke with my students about Mary Beth Hertz's Edutopia post "Battling Fake News in the Classroom," and I sensed that many of my students, while skilled at what Hertz fittingly calls "crap detection," were still deeply troubled by what they characterized as a growing public aversion to the truth. When politicians and thought leaders can't or won't agree on a basic set of facts, how can we motivate students for the noble pursuit of truth and help them see why it still matters?  "

"Learn how to setup, use and moderate content on a classroom blog to improve student writing skills. A moderated classroom blog is the ideal platform to use to share announcements, classroom news, and student work for a public audience. In this workshop we'll use several free blogging and learning management tools. These will include KidBlog (powered by WordPress), My Big Campus, and Edmodo. We'll also explore how free Posterous.com sites can be used to share rich media including images, audio and video files from iPads including "cart-based" iPads using a shared student "sending" email account. In addition, we'll learn how to create enhanced/multimedia eBooks including digital text, hyperlinks, images, and embedded videos using iPad apps as well as other software programs. These will include Book Creator for iPad, iBooks Author software, Apple Pages software (part of iWork), and Calibre software (free and cross-platform). Digital Show and Tell from Day 2"

" How to Record the iPad / iPhone Screen as Video with Reflector Sep 9, 2013 - Leave a Comment Record the iPhone / iPad Screen Recording and capturing the screen of an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch while in use is infinitely helpful for education, teaching, instructional guides, and what we do here at OSXDaily. If you've ever wondered how to record the screen of an iOS device you'll find there are a variety of options out there, but one of the best solutions is an app named Reflector. Cross platform compatible, Reflector allows iOS device screens to be mirrored directly onto a computer screen through AirPlay, plus it's loaded with easy screen recording abilities with a video export option, and allows for some alternate uses like live streams over the web and even audio streaming if video isn't needed. For this article, we're focusing on the screen recording ability of Reflector though, which is extremely easy to use. "

"I have aversions to certain colors. I'm sure I'm not alone in this - most people find themselves drawn to either warm colors or cool colors, and there is a whole business of the psychology of colors. The handy infographic below takes a look at the psychology of colors and how they're used in branding. Not applicable to the classroom, right? Wrong. There are so many different ways you can incorporate color into what you're doing in your classroom to help boost your efforts. From designing your presentations mindfully to how you mark student work, color can come into play a lot more often than you may realize. So what colors should you use for what? Take a look at what the infographic below has to say about colors with branding, and we'll give you an idea of how this crosses over into the classroom. We'd love to hear if you've used colors intentionally in your classroom setting, or if you have other ideas. Leave a message in the comments!"