Group items tagged

"What does 'the internet of things' mean, anyway? It is a term that I've heard periodically over the past few years but explored little and never wrote about here, as it doesn't specifically refer to education and there are so many other (specifically) relevant things to share and talk about. The short explanation is that the Internet of Things refers to the interconnectedness of devices of all types - especially 'smart' devices that can react, anticipate, and adapt as necessary. In short, this interconnectedness and advancing technology is expected to simplify automation in so many areas of our lives."

"In today's post I am sharing with you some interesting search engines ideal for folks in engaged in social science research.Researchers working in the fields of psychology, anthropology, and related subjects will find great results using these search engines."

"Here is another great resource of free images for teachers and students to use in class.Welcome Library made freely available more than 100,000 high resolution images. These materials include a wide variety of historical manuscripts, paintings, etchings, early photography and many more."

"Following yesterday's post on Seven Deadly Digital Sins I received a couple of requests for digital safety and citizenship resources appropriate for elementary school students. Here are some of my favorite resources for teaching digital safety and citizenship at the elementary school level."

"For a while now I have ben exploring the use of technology to bring interactive information to our students. This has involved QR codes, uBleams, Augmented Reality and eBooks. There have been some successes but it was a long process that meant the initial trigger usually looked fairly boring so made a very poor 2D presentation of work. I have since been looking at using Layar to create augmented reality magazines and posters."

"Evernote is a helpful productivity tool when used effectively on iPad and can play a significant role in a 1:1 iPad classroom. Whether being used in a Math, English, Foreign Language or Art class, by combining the capacity to type, insert images, annotate, and record audio, students can integrate their iPad with Evernote in a number of unique ways. Below are six approaches to using Evernote in the classroom to improve organization, promote reflection, and help students capture their process and thinking."

"Interested in expanding your Personal Learning Network over social media? Here are some tools to make you a social media pro."

"This fall National Geographic will offer two free online courses for teachers. Facilitating Learning Through Outdoor Watershed Education will be held September 17 to October 29, 2014. Water: The Essential Resource will be held October 15 to December 17, 2014. Both courses are hosted on the Coursera platform. "

" "Even young kids have gotten very adept at Minecraft, so it can be quite intimidating for teachers," said Jason Schmidt, an instructional technologist for Bennington Public Schools who will teach the four-week MinecraftEdu MOOC, in a prepared statement. "If I can help get teachers over that hump, imagine how delighted students will be to have a learning environment tailored to their interests for a change." The other, Minecraft for Educators, "is a course for teachers who are wishing to gamify their learning experiences and deliver a unique pedagogy that will engage, enthuse and keep learners coming back for more," according to information released by the company. Both MOOCs are available through the Canvas Network. Minecraft for Educators will start January 26, 2015 and run through March 9. The company has also released a Minecraft app to allow students to submit assignments to the Canvas learning management system from within the game. Using the app, students can tag what they've made in the game for their teachers to visit, upload books they've written in game directly to the speed grader or use the game's circuitry tool to complete assignments that will be automatically graded. A video demonstration of the app is available at YouTube. Other MOOCs for teachers in the suite include: Digital Literacies 1; Digital Literacies 2; Five Habits of Highly Effective Teachers; Teachers without Borders: Educating Girls; and Tinker, Make and Learn. Among the other MOOC offerings in the new suite is a course designed specifically for parents, Parenting in the Digital Age, which aims to help them address issues such as cyberbullying, digital citizenship, exposure to inappropriate content, media literacy and screentime. Taught by Andrew Swickheimer, director of technology at Noblesville Schools, the self-paced course opens September 22. "Parental involvement in K-12 education has one of the biggest impacts on a child's commitment to learning," said Jared Stein, vice pres

"While there are some very creative web tools out there, ThingLink is one of my favorites. It has earned this status by passing several of my key benchmark-tests for the classroom: It is dependable and accessible. Students need not fear that their work will be lost as it automatically saves. It is relatively easy to learn and use. Rarely does a lesson become more about "ThingLink" than the topic about which students are trying to express their knowledge. For new users, ThingLink allows you to upload a picture and active links to a variety of media, essentially making an image touchable as illustrated below."

"Tim, a Director of Instructional Technology from El Paso, Texas, gives a strong account of how iPad can be used as a tool for creation. He clearly details some of the concrete ways that the often-defended tablet can be used to produce videos, music, drawings, and works of art that move well beyond consumption. Kim, on the other hand, offers a unique perspective as an educator who has recently transitioned from supporting an iPad environment to using a Chromebook as his primary device. In his post, 3 Reasons Why Chromebook Beats iPad in 1:1 Programs, Kim gives the following three reasons for the superiority of the Chromebook: Chromebooks are for creating, and iPads are for consuming The App vs the Web The Google Ecosystem for Collaboration The most viable of these three reasons from Kim is the final one, the collaborative tools that are inherent in the Google ecosystem can be accessed seamlessly on a Chromebook. While iOS device access to Google tools continues to become less and less of an issue, schools that want to focus primarily on Google tools should look no further than Chromebooks. However, I would like to challenge Kim's first two points. As he notes in his discussion around his first point, the consumption versus creation debate with iPads and Chromebooks has been made countless times by those on both sides of this discussion."

"Today as I was thinking about the iPad apps to feature in this list  I decided not to include what I call ' the traditional apps' I have been repeatedly featuring during the last couple of years. Instead, I am sharing 6 powerful apps that are usually overlooked by teachers. These apps are definitely a must try and I am pretty sure you will love them. From using iPads to manage content on students' iPads to apps that support teachers in Common Core instruction, these set of apps can do wonders to your teaching."

"Science, Technology, Engineering, Math. Teach coding, get girls interested in all of these subjects. However you slice it, there's a lot of focus on the logical and analytical brain functions these days. Many schools are cutting the 'extras' like art and music. While I firmly believe that students need to be well rounded and really need subjects like those to be considered more than 'extra', and while there are many people fighting to keep these programs in schools, you can't deny that the international economy and jobs outlook is demanding more focus on STEM. But does that mean we should drop all focus on the other stuff? The handy infographic below takes a look at why focusing on the skills of half our brain is not enough. It explores the functions of all parts of the brain (however simplified) and gives some insight into how the creative skills can help you a lot."

"Since its publication in 1956, Bloom's Taxonomy has been a foundation of most modern education systems. While the overarching principles have remained the same, changes in understanding, experience and technology have seen the Taxonomy take on a number of different forms, for a number of different purposes and applications. The below overview shows the progression of Bloom's Taxonomy, how each thinking skill applies in practice, and examples of activities using digital tools."

"Tech for Success guide to start a conversation with your child about using technology safely and responsibly"