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"I'm not sure of the way most people learn the complicated process of programming Arduino projects because I only know my own convoluted journey. I started the hard way following projects from the Arduino Starter Kit by building photo sensor theremins and electronic magic 8 balls. Here is one of my first Arduino projects I created at a class at the Denton Public Library. (The tweet below is a flashback to the Coding Bonanza I led at Lamar Library in 2014.) I quickly found that I wanted to do things OTHER than what the projects outlined, but I just didn't have the code knowledge to hack projects and make them my own. I continued following projects and attempting to tinker with code. For someone with absolutely no background in coding, it was quite an arduous journey. Imagine my surprise when I found out about the ScratchX extension from Kreg Hanning at SXSWedu in 2015!"

"Just got an iPad for the holidays? You lucky sod! You scored the crown jewel, the Big Tamale - the most marvelous gadget Apple has ever made. Yes, go ahead, pick up its slim aluminum frame and dive right in - Steve knew that's what you wanted to do, and he designed the iPad so you could do just that. We want to make sure you get everything right though, and we know there are a few key setup tricks along the way that new (and even some not-so-new) iPad users miss. So take a look at the short list of steps we've lined up here. They won't take long, and they'll make sure you get the best out of your iPad 2. Ready? Here we go."

"We're coming up fast on the beginning of another school year. That means a new batch of students to get to know, students who need to be made comfortable in your classroom, and who need to get to know each other. It's essential to start building relationships with your students right from the start. And how to accomplish this? Icebreakers."

"For the iPad there is a great timer/stopwatch app called Minu Timer. This universal free app needs no instructions (although it does include a start up 'how to use' page appearing on your first launch). The interface is simple and the user experience proves that a well written app will let users jump right in and get started. A lack of buttons and excessive tuning options keeps things uncluttered and removes the need to tap through to layers of screens."

"Say what you will about who is on Google Plus, there are two truths about it: it has the potential to be one of the most important social networks for publishers and it is somewhat difficult to get started. This infographic offers some pragmatic tips to get started on G+."

10 tips for getting started with Google Classroom http://t.co/kM7J82WPk7 via @Edudemic

""Getting Started" includes a set of curated, introductory resources are for those new to making or interested in learning more about what making is and its potential impact in education. It also provides practical, concrete ways for integrating making into educational settings."

"Recently, I presented an online webinar with education colleagues from different parts of the U.S. The webinar, Social Media Savvy for Educators, was well received. Our purpose in sharing was to: Support educators who were new to using social media Support them to seek out a few resources Support them to launch into those spaces In this webinar, we shared ways to tap into the power of social media to increase professional effectiveness, student engagement and parent participation. K-12 educators and leaders attended and participated to learn about integrating Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, Google Hangout and more into their everyday work. An interesting issue emerged as we stepped through the webinar -- we observed that many participants did not know how to "get started" using social media tools. "

"While Apple has traditionally positioned the iPad as a media-consumption device, the tablet has gained a reputation as a very capable and powerful music-creation tool. GarageBand is a great place to start, but taking the next step can be difficult when faced with an overwhelming number of creative options. Don't worry: we'll point you toward the very best block-rockin' apps and accessories. Before we get started, be aware that the processors in older iPads simply don't pack enough punch to take on many of the top audio apps. You'll want nothing less than an original iPad mini, and the closer you can get to a current iPad Air 2, the better. Also, look for applications that support Inter-App Audio (IAA), Apple's protocol for inter-application operability. Now, let's rock!"

"If you are looking to start a makerspace at your school or library, there are a wealth of resources available to help you get started. I would be so lost if it weren't for many of these. They also have a lot of research supporting the maker movement. MakerEd.org Makeit@YourLibrary Remake Learning Makerspace.com In addition, there have been a few key individuals whose blogs I follow religiously.  Renovated Learning - blog of Diana Rendina @DianaLRendina Create, Collaborate, Innovate - blog of Colleen Graves @gravescolleen Worlds of Learning  - blog of Laura Fleming @NMHS_lms These resources have been invaluable to me in determining projects, designing the space, and the many planning and logistics that are involved. They've also helped me anticipate and work through any issues that may arise.  What these resources didn't provide was the voice from my students and teachers. No matter how many reputable sources or blogs I consulted, I wasn't getting the input and feedback that really mattered. "

"Last week we shared with you ' Evaluating Apps for the Classroom' a free interactive guide from Apple Education to help you make the best of educational apps in your instruction. Today we are featuring with you some interesting materials from 'Get Started Teaching with iPad' series.These are courses created specifically for teachers. Each of these courses provides tips and resources for integrating iPad in the instruction of one of these subject matters: elementary math, elementary science, and elementary literacy. We have also added two more resources for high school physics and chemistry teachers."

School Starts Next Week--Time to Get Real About Innovation

"Not quite sure how to get started? No worries -- let's take a look at everything you'll need to turn your iPad into a full-fledged Office companion. First up: an iPad. The Office apps are compatible with any iPad that can run iOS 7, which, alas, leaves out first-generation models."

"Thanks to some professional development work I'm starting with a new grant project, I was able to setup a new iPad Air 2 this weekend with all the apps I use for personal productivity, content creation and sharing. As is the case with a laptop, it's often beneficial to do a "clean install" of applications rather than restore from a backup. In the case of an iPad or iPhone, I frequently end up with lots of installed applications which I try once or use infrequently, but never get around to actually deleting from my device. A clean install is a "fresh start" and can provide a good opportunity to get rid of apps which are rarely used."

"37 ways teachers can use Pinterest in the classroom, now that is a novel concept! There are a lot of great technology tools out there for teachers that can make it easier to connect with other educators, get ideas for classroom activities, and find inspiration. One of the newest and best of these online tools is Pinterest, which has quickly become a favorite among educators. Using online "pinboards" teachers can save everything from photos to blog posts in one easily accessible and usable place. Educators who are curious about Pinterest should sign up for an invitation today (it's still invite only, but it doesn't take long to get an invitation) and start creating their own amazing collections of pins. Not sure where to start? Check out some of these 37 Ways Teachers Can Use Pinterest In The Classroom:"

"Twitter has been around since 2006 and the company says it currently has 316 million "monthly active users". Over 500 million tweets are sent everyday, and in 2014 a Twitter executive said 4.2 million of those are related to education. What are they doing? Sharing resources, supporting colleagues, and changing education policy around the globe. But you know this. That's why you're here: you're ready to get started, but just aren't sure what to do."

"It's time to set up week two's coding challenge. You are going to need a little help getting started on this one! We need to set up some colour selection tools in our drawing app. But adding colour selection can be challenging and there are many ways to accomplish this task. In this video, I go through one way of getting this task started in Hopscotch. The video will broach two new ideas: VARIABLES - or in Hopscotch parlance VALUES and colour number codes...."

"The tiny and ridiculously inexpensive Raspberry Pi Zero has already proven to be a huge hit, selling out everywhere (including on the front cover of 10,000 magazines). But if you're one of the lucky 20,000 or so who managed to get hold of one of the £4 computers, you might be asking a deceptively simple question -- what next? The Zero is a surprisingly powerful machine, with 512MB of RAM and a CPU faster than the original Pi, but what do you need to get started and what projects can you tackle from day one? The following intro guide will help you go beyond simply staring at the miniature, refined brilliance of the Zero hardware, and actually start using it to make things, play games and experiment."

"Getting Started with Minecraft Improving Minecraft Performance on Old and New Computers Meet the Biomes of Minecraft Exploring Minecraft's Structures Meet the Mobs of Minecraft Exploring Minecraft Game Modes Surviving Your First Night In Survival Mode Your First Mine, Armor, and Further Exploration Advanced Mining and the Magic of Enchanting I'm a Farmer, You're a Farmer, We are Farmers All Engineering with Redstone Creating Custom Minecraft Maps Downloading and Installing Custom Maps Setting Up Local Multiplayer and Custom Player Skins Exploring Minecraft Multiplayer Servers"

"how a fourth grader how to balance a checkbook and it won't be long before her eyes start to glaze over or his mind starts to wander off to more interesting things. Infuse a financial literacy lesson with terms like bitcoin or cryptocurrency, however, and the lesson gets a bit more interesting. Better yet, give the student a very hands-on, tech-centric way to experiment with those financial concepts, and suddenly you're in an entirely new learning realm. As it stands now, a high percentage of K-12 students never getting the tools and training they need to make informed financial decisions. Only a third of states require high school students to take a course in personal finance, while less than half require them to take a course in economics before graduating. So in a push to make learning more relevant-and fun-a pair of startups, BitLearn and Pigzbe, are fusing gamification with finance, propped up by digital currency tokens. Call it the 21st century piggy bank."