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"I was 11 the year my summer camp director transformed the regular schedule, procedures, and lingo that we were used to-into the most memorable, enriching experience I had ever encountered at that point in my life. I had no idea that he had 'gamified' the week; I just knew that it was the best summer ever. Instead of grouping us by numbers, we were named after the Greek alphabet. We competed daily against the other groups in volleyball, softball, kickball, and on the final night -a chariot and Olympic flame opened an epic Olympic Game contest at midnight. The director, or 'game master' as we were inclined to call him, even made everyone reset the clocks and watches-so we never knew what the real time was, the entire schedule was set on some sort of crazy alternate schedule. Now I realize that it probably allowed him to sleep in and us to stay up later, but we were none the wiser. Daily we played games, wrote skits, went swimming, and competed for cleanest cabins. We did all the regular stuff, but it was more fun because there were rules and boundaries and points and collaboration and competition and a clear, mutual understanding of goals and performance and criteria for success. As a student, I got to learn more about the power of 'gamifying' something, and what effect it had on learners."

"Rather than the maker experiences being an after school program, an add on activity, or an activity that is implemented when students have done their regular lessons work, it should be part of the regular, day-to-day curriculum. As noted in USC Rossier Online, "In order for your school and students to be fully invested in maker education, it has to be integrated into your curriculum, not squeezed in" (https://rossieronline.usc.edu/maker-education/sync-with-curriculum/).  Ayah Bdeir, who invented and runs littleBits, had this to say about integrating maker education into the curriculum: It's time for maker ed to move into the mainstream. Making should not be relegated to the times spent outside of class, e.g. lunch or after school. Nor should it only flourish in private schools, which don't have to teach to standards. We need to work to show how making is a rigorous process that leads to valuable new technologies, products and experiences. Specifically, we need to tie maker projects to standards-based curriculum and show clearly the kinds of knowledge, skills and practices students learn as part of making (https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-09-24-building-connections-between-maker-ed-and-standards) Albemarle County Public School District is very intentional in their implementation of maker projects: Maker projects can be created to support just about any subject area, from science to history to language arts. Maker education can be a tool for teaching the curriculum that you already have, At a glance, maker projects may appear disconnected from the curriculum. What may look like an arts and crafts activity, or just a bunch of kids playing with Legos, is actually a way to teach about ancient Rome or how to write a persuasive essay. (https://www.edutopia.org/practice/maker-education-reaching-all-learners) "

"Reading for Meaning is a research-based strategy that helps all readers build the skills that proficient readers use to make sense of challenging texts. Regular use of the strategy gives students the opportunity to practice and master the three phases of critical reading that lead to reading success, including Previewing and predicting before reading. Actively searching for relevant information during reading. Reflecting on learning after reading."

"Teachers instinctually know that art, music and drama add value to kids' lives. But in the era of high-stakes exams, the arts often fall to the bottom of the list, whether we intend them to or not. Below, explore research that shows the arts actually improve test scores-and enrich kids' lives in a million other ways-along with simple tips for incorporating more creativity into the regular classroom."

"Today while I was lounging in Victoria Park, I took my iPad and started thumbing around through the apps I have. I was really surprised to find out that I have many apps installed but only some are being used on a regular basis. So it dawned on me to compile a list of some "must have" apps that teachers should have access to. All of these apps are great for organizational tasks such as : task management, bookmarking, note-taking...and media storage. "

"Have you read The Paperless Classroom with Google Docs by Eric Curts? If not, you should. It is a great way for Google schools to harness the power of Google for sharing documents, and establishing a workflow for students to turn in work for teachers to grade and return in a paperless environment. I love it. In fact, I liked it so much that I decided to pay homage to it with a version that is dedicated to doing the very same thing on the iPad using just the Google Drive app. Regular readers will have seen my last post, How to Use Comments on the Google Drive iPad app. For me, this was a key change to the Google Drive iPad app, and one that had huge implications for the iPad classroom. It inspired me to think about just how much you can do in Google with an iPad and the Drive app, and I soon discovered that you can do a lot more than you might think. So, with the blessing of Eric Curts himself, I sat down and went through all the steps he meticulously outlined for the desktop version of Google Drive, and converted as many as I could to the equivalent actions in the Google Drive iPad app. Then I added some additional steps for other things like taking documents offline, or grading PDFs, images and movies."

"Kathy Cassidy was so kind to extend a copy of her new book Connect from the Start: Global Learning in Primary Grades to me. Globally connected learning is a passion of mine, as regular readers of Langwitches can attest to. I was eager to read Kathy's book, which is grounded in authentic experiences from her 1st grade classroom."

"Today, I finally got an iPad. An iPad mini, to be exact. And now the search for good French apps begins. The choice is vast and while there are many free apps to choose from, it appears that often the better apps cost money. The problem is, one cannot explore an app until it is bought! I therefore created this blog to facilitate the search for appropriate FSL apps. I will be reviewing apps on a regular basis, and rating them so that you can better judge whether to buy them or not. I will only review apps that require a purchase. The free ones you can test out yourself (see some of them below, #1)!"

"Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printers are popping up everywhere - from the home to the office; from the classroom to the workshop. PLA and ABS thermoplastic are the defacto standard materials used for these desktop 3D printers. But did you know that you could fabricate things with exotic 3D printer filament, too? You can now print in wood, metal, carbon fiber, and much more besides. As the name implies, exotic 3d printer filaments - also known as specialty or composite - filaments are advanced materials for your FDM 3D Printer. They combine thermoplastics like PLA and ABS with ingredients like metals, carbon fiber, wood, and glow-in-the-dark compounds to create hybrid materials with unique properties. With so much variety on offer, it's easier than ever to create functional, beautiful, and high performing prints in a variety of exciting materials. Read our guide to find out which 3D printer filament - regular or exotic - is right for you."

"Print a 3D logo on your t-shirt! You can 3D print directly onto a t-shirt with your home printer using standard PLA, ABS or other regular filament."

"As Abby walked into the school building she had a sinking feeling in her stomach. It was November and she had just moved into a new community. She was nervous about starting a new school midway through the school year. This was her first day of school and she kept her eyes down, nervous, not knowing what to expect as she walked into the main office. Suddenly, the office secretary called out to her in a tone that made her skip a breath, "Where are you supposed to be?  Do you have a pass?  Move on now before the tardy bell rings and the vice principal gives you a detention for being late." Each day in school offices across the country this scenario is playing out with regularity.  Although it may come across as somewhat exaggerated, those of you who have spent any amount of time in school have probably at one time or another been witness to such an interaction in the main office area.  It is these defined interactions that has led to us to ponder this question.  Have we reached the point where we are willing to allow negative interactions to drive the level of success of our students, staff and our school? What if we were to pause, step back and view our office culture through the eyes of students, parents, guests or even staff who visit the main office? What would they say?  If we manage our interactions appropriately they will leave feeling valued and cared for and look forward to their next return trip."

"n florida, a coalition of parents known as "the recess moms" has been fighting to pass legislation guaranteeing the state's elementary-school students at least 20 minutes of daily free play. Similar legislation recently passed in New Jersey, only to be vetoed by the governor, who deemed it "stupid." When, you might ask, did recess become such a radical proposal? In a survey of school-district administrators, roughly a third said their districts had reduced outdoor play in the early 2000s. Likely culprits include concerns about bullying and the No Child Left Behind Act, whose time-consuming requirements resulted in cuts to play. [1] Disadvantaged kids have been the most likely to be shortchanged: According to a 2003 study, just 56 percent of children living at or below the poverty line had recess, compared with 83 percent of those above the poverty line; a similar disparity was noted between black children and their white peers. [2] FROM OUR DECEMBER 2016 ISSUE Try 2 FREE issues of The Atlantic SUBSCRIBE The benefits of recess might seem obvious-time to run around helps kids stay fit. But a large body of research suggests that it also boosts cognition. Many studies have found that regular exercise improves mental function and academic performance. [3] And an analysis of studies that focused specifically on recess found positive associations between physical activity and the ability to concentrate in class. [4]"

"iOS 10 won't be out until the fall, but Apple has released the first preview for developers. Regular users will be able to install a beta later this summer. I got to load up the preview version on one of my test devices and take it for a spin.  I have to say, I'm impressed with how much feels new in iOS 10. Visually, there are a ton of enhancements."

"More people are living longer these days, but the good news comes shadowed by the possible increase in cases of age-related mental decline. By some estimates, the global incidence of dementia will more than triple in the next 35 years. That grim prospect is what makes a study published in March in The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease so encouraging: It turns out that regular walking, cycling, swimming, dancing and even gardening may substantially reduce the risk of Alzheimer's."

"MUSCATINE, Iowa- Legos, oobleck, and school have more in common than meets the eye at College for Kids, a two-week summer program held at Central Middle School and Jefferson Elementary. First through sixth grade students from eight different school districts participated in the program, which is organized by co-coordinators Laurie Schroeder and Troy Kulland. The program, Kulland and Schroeder said, is designed to give students hands-on learning experiences they may not have time or resources to have during the regular school year. "We fill in the gaps that a normal school year can't do, it gives them a chance to be creative, use their imaginations, think outside the box," Kulland said. Teachers love being creative in the classes as well."

"What with recent headlines about solar flares, coronal mass ejections, geomagnetic storms, and spectacular auroral displays, many people have been wondering what the heck is going on with the Sun. 3D Sun, a free app for iPhone and iPad, provides answers in semi-regular updates on the state of the Sun, replete with dazzling images and/or videos."

"This is a regular feature of the blog looking at various Apps available. Some of the apps will be useful for those involved in learning technologies, others will be useful in improving the way in which you work, whilst a few will be just plain fun! Some will be free, others will cost a little and one or two will be what some will think is quite expensive. This week's App is MindGenius for iPad."

"Science NetLinks is in the early stages of gathering and reviewing STEM-related apps for both the iPad and the Android. Please check back often as we expect to add new app-related tools on a regular basis."

"Over the course of the year, staff at this school will be receiving a significant amount of professional development to help them better utilize the technology that is available to them. The focus of my session was iOS Apps for professional development. I scrolled through my iPad and made a list of the Apps that I use on a regular basis to help me learn and develop as an educator. Here's what I came up with:"