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"Here's a sketchy video I created for my technology pedagogy course. I have mixed feelings about SAMR, because it often implies that "lower levels" are not as good when often substitution works well. Royan Lee picked this apart well. I also think there are times when the best option involves avoiding technology. For example, there are times when sketching something by hand teaches observational skills better than using a camera. However, I still see a real benefit in the SAMR model, in terms of thinking about the transformative power of technology."

"A couple of months ago we featured a collection of some good iPad apps for music teachers. Today, upon the request of some of our readers here in EdTech and mLearning, we went ahead and curated for you this list of music apps specifically for Mac users. These are programs you can use in your Mac to do a wide variety of musical tasks including: create beats in different music styles; convert audio and video files to multiple audio formats; learn to play piano, guitar and  percussive drums; record, crop, effect and trim audio... and many more. For more options, check out the music section in Mac App Store. "

"Course Description: Learn to build your own Lightsaber just like young Jedi do! Along the way, learn about electronics, basic machining, assembly, and the ways of the Jedi. By the end of the lab, you will have built a functioning, battle-ready Lightsaber that you can wield like a master Jedi. This class is highly engaging and will have you anxious to build! This course also makes for a great parent-child project to do over the weekend or as an enrichment activity for your son/daughter. The online delivery of the course makes it a perfect option for home schooled children as well. What will I learn? 1. How to build a Lightsaber from scratch 2. The basics of electricity 3. Basic electrical circuits 4. Mechanical assembly 5. How to use a Lightsaber 6. So much more!"

"This past Friday, my wife (@sfryer) and I facilitated a full-day, hands-on workshop about ways to use iPads in the classroom with students to "show what they know with media." 164 teachers participated in the workshop, which was held in two adjacent ballrooms of the Alumni Center at Kansas State University. The event, iCamp iPad Day, was hosted by the College of Education at Kansas State (@ksucollegeofed) and organized by Cyndi Danner Kuhn (@cyndidannerkuhn). The workshop included many elements of iPad Media Camp (@iPadMediaCamp), a 3 day workshop I've offered in the summertime the past four years. During the planning stages for "iCamp iPad Day," Shelly and I discussed the different sharing options we wanted to model for participants and encourage them to use. We decided to use the term "INSIDE SHARING" for the private sharing we'd do during the workshop using SeeSaw. We decided to use the term "OUTSIDE SHARING" for public sharing on Twitter using our #iCampKSU hashtag and other open websites. In this post, I'll explain why both inside and outside digital sharing are important, and how we can use these terms with students, teachers, parents and others to advocate for SHARING AS A MORAL IMPERATIVE (hat tip to Dean Shareski @shareski)."

"Most people who are familiar with 3d printing have been to Thingiverse.com or at least have heard of it.  With over 1 million uploads to the site, its the place to go if you need a 3d printable model of most anything.  But where else could you check to download 3d models if you wanted a variety? I've put together a list of all the 3d model libraries out there in order to help give you more options as makers.  If I missed one or if a new website pops up after this post goes live please let me know and I'll get it added to this list.  I can't wait to see what you print.  Send me a tweet @Makerspaces_com "

"What makerspace materials and supplies should you buy or stock for your hands-on learning lab?  There are a lot of options out there to choose from and it can be confusing when you're first starting out as a maker educator.  Instead of just spending money randomly on items you think you will need, it's always a great idea to work backwards first.  You need to make a list of your goals for your makerspace and then define some of the projects you want to do in your makerspace.  Once you have defined the projects, you will have a better idea of the materials you need to buy.  Since money is always tight and you can't buy everything, try partnering with another maker educator and share/trade some of your items.  Lets say you're both working on a series of robotics lessons.  Each of you can buy one type of robotics kit and then when you have completed a few lessons you can trade with each other.  This is also a great way to try out new types of kits, equipment or materials before buying them. Now keep in mind makerspaces don't always need structured lessons and are great for open ended exploration.  Give your students some materials, maybe a little instruction and then let them loose to see what they do. Here are some of the top makerspace materials and supplies a classroom or library should consider adding to their space.  They are not ranked in any particular order and they all have a STEM component to them.  Please let us know in the comments section if we are missing any good materials so we can send out an updated post later on."

"Quizizz is a great web tool we discovered through Learning in Hand. Quizizz allows you to create interactive quiz games to use in your instruction for a number of educational purposes including formative assessment. Quiz games you create have up to 4 answer options including a correct answer. You can also add images to the background of your questions and customize the settings of your questions the way you want. When your quizzes are ready you can share them with your students using a generated 5 digit code."

"Over the last week Twitter has been rolling out a new polling feature to its users. The new polling option allows you to post a Tweet that contains a short poll question. Using a poll is different than just asking people to reply to a question that you Tweet. When you post a poll people don't have to reply to you with an "@" reply. Instead of sending a written reply people just choose from one of your response choices. In the video embedded below I demonstrate how the new polling feature works. "

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There is something about human nature that draws us towards dichotomous patterns of thought; an all or nothing, us or them style of thinking in which an option is either good or it is bad. In such a model complexity and subtle nuance with multiple possible outcomes and routes towards a goal are ignored. The field of educational technology is one where such a pattern is evident and recent ban on technology by a Sydney school shows how this style of analysis can have a significant impact on student learning.

"Learn more about how to strengthen the WiFi signal at work or home using a WiFi extender and see what the best three options are. "

"Did you know that January is considered International Creativity Month? This month, remind your students about the importance of being creative. Give your students the ability to creatively express themselves by providing various options for a particular class assignment. For example, instead of assigning the same writing assignment to every student, offer five variations on the topic to give the students more flexibility to choose something they find worthwhile."

"Contrary to what you might think and hear, apps and screens aren't the best tools for kids to learn STEM concepts, even coding. Why? Innovation, pattern recognition, exploration, experimentation and creation underlie STEM principles. Kids need to manipulate tangible things. It's how they learn. While there are some great apps that supplement STEM learning, the best STEM activities for kids are blended ones -- the ones that require hands-on exploration, screens optional. Those that do require screens, like ones with coding apps, should augment the experience, not be the sole focus. Many of these toys and kits are designed for classroom use but are perfectly adaptable and suitable for home use, too, as my two kids, ages five and seven, will shout from the rooftops (supervised, don't worry). Check out these awesome blended learning STEM kits and toys. They'll have your little inventors ready to apply for their first patent in no time."

We struggle to achieve balance with so many parts of our lives. We see things in dichotomies and try to weigh one against the other believing that we must give time to one and not the other. This tendency to see things in often false dichotomies leads to the problem of the "want to' vs the 'have to'. Unfortunately, when we are faced with this dilemma we often make a choice in favour of the 'have to' but we chose this option for the wrong reasons.

"If you're anything like me, you spend a lot of time each day clicking through your inbox. (And, admittedly, if you're anything like me you also walk away from the inbox with a seemingly never-ending pile of unread messages and junk mail. Does it ever stop?!) But what if there was a way to make sifting through that inbox easier? Enter Gmail shortcuts. Here are 10 essential shortcuts everyone should know. Just don't forget to turn on your keyboard shortcuts (this option is in the "settings" tab of your account) first. "

"Did you know that you can view multiple web pages and/or applications at once on your digital device? My friend, Jennifer Kimbrell from Tech with Jen, and I were talking the other day about Chrome extensions that make viewing multiple webpages easy for students. I discovered that my "go to" extension, Split Screen, no longer was available and I started to look into other options. Just like everything else involved in the world of ed tech, I am constantly learning something new. Therefore, I wanted to share with you what I discovered last week! "

It seems that thanks to COVID19, educators, parents and students are in a rush. It seems the rush started moments after the decision was made to promote social distancing by offering remote learning. From quality learning in classrooms focused on deep learning we shifted into top gear. Packets of work were prepared, online tools rapidly expanded, new options for content delivery were examined and quickly deployed. We wanted to make sure that our students would be kept busy. Parents wanted their children to be busy. - Maybe slow looking is the solution?