Great Resource of eBooks Each of the libraries listed provides free services to the public. There are Kids books, Teacher books, Foreign Language and more! SIG 1 Context: E-books K-12 Setting
Shared by Susan:
Follow along as a public elementary school in Chicago integrates the iPad into its first through fifth grade classrooms. This blog has a master list of apps, App Reviews from teachers and students, and other intergrating tech in the classroom.
This website is great for background information to mobile devices. It is a PDF file
"Now, as a growing number of students carry smart phones, tablets, and other mobile devices that can connect to the internet wirelessly through a cellular as well as a Wi-Fi connection, the definition of ―mobile learning‖ is expanding-and with it, the possibilities inherent in the term.
This article first summarizes an argument by Gary Stager that byod is a bad idea because it makes teachers tailor instruction to the weakest device, highlights socioeconomic disparities in students, and "contributes to the growing narrative that education is not worthy of investment." The author goes on to acknowledge the problems Stager brings up, while describing the benefits of byod: driving schools to cloud computing rather than native apps, student ownershp of work and initiative to figure out solutions, etc. Thoughtful article that provides maybe raises more questions than it answers.
Sig1 Context: byod, digital divide
Shared at a ISTE conference, and demonstrates some of the ironies and contradictions the education system is mired in. The one that spoke to me the most was Don't trap tech. in the classroom.
5. Facebook is a country. With over 500 million users as of July 2010, Facebook, were it a country, would be the 4th largest in the world. If you are an English-speaking American who has lived most of your life in one small town, how would you like to be dropped off on a street corner in China to find your way? You might want to learn the language and know a few of the local customs before you set out to do much of anything.
There is a shift in how people get jobs, how companies advertise, how new ventures present themselves, how corporations gain business, how students learn, how everything works. More ways why students need 21st-century skills:
Donorschoose.org: This would be a great resource for teachers with limited funding to be able to get iPads and other mobile devices for their classroom. This is an online charity connecting donors with classrooms in need. Looking for funding this may be an option? Also, positive feedback from teachers re: iPad implementation.
SIG1 Context: funding, iPads, cross curricular
"If you are planning on buying multiple iPads for your school you need to do a bit of planning around the management, administration and pedagogical integration of the iPad in your classroom. There are also important issues around licencing of apps." This blog also includes links other valuable sites providing information on iPads in the classroom, iPads today, iPads in education, app reviews, apps outlined by curriculum. This is a wonderful resource for any school or educator thinking about getting "on board" and integrating iPads into the curriculum. The most valuable resource here was the spreadsheet outlining apps by grade, age, cost, and curricular area. SIG1Context: mobility, iPads, apps, cross curricular,
This site gives more ideas on how to use Skype in the classroom.
Introduce your students to new ways of seeing the world with a cultural exchange. Bring language to life with real-life conversations where students can practice a new language with a class of native speakers. And More!
A fantastic free Google product that gives you direct access to real world statistics. It plots graphs of the data for you and even animates the graphs to show how they change through time.
This is an excellent site which allows you to search by topic, Bloom's Taxonomy, grade level, price, subject, and even type of mobile device to locate relevant apps.