Group items tagged

A few months ago, two teachers, Santeri Koivisto and Joel Levin, decided to make the software more accessible and relevant to teachers. They joined forces to found MinecraftEdu and started offering discounted educator licenses to Minecraft. MinecraftEdu now offers a plug-in, which enables teachers to tailor the software to individual curriculum. And a fresh new wiki is dedicated to sharing ideas with topic suggestions such as "How To Use Redstone, (a fictional mineral) To Teach Electricity." Teachers can also work with others to co-develop lesson plans within the game software.

Smartphones and tablet computers are radically transforming how we access our shared knowledge sources by keeping us constantly connected to near-infinite volumes of raw data and information. We enjoy unprecedented instant access to expertise, from informal cooking lessons on YouTube to online university courses. Every day people around the globe are absorbed in exciting new forms of learning, and yet traditional schools and university systems are still struggling to leverage the many opportunities for innovation in this area.

StudyEgg is a new tool that can be used to augment already existing educational content on the Internet by adding new learning features. With StudyEgg teachers can create quizzes based on YouTube videos like Khan Academy or any other freely available lesson/material. GradeCam enables teachers to grade assignments instantly with any document camera or webcam, no special tools needed. The data is then displayed, showing the teacher if all students understood the concepts. Tests can be created on the go to check what students have learned instead of testing them days or weeks later. GradeCam then lets users import the data easily into the gradebook service,  Always Prepped combines different educational resources and services like Khan Academy, Edmodo or Study Island and puts all the learning related data of the students into one unified dashboard. Also able to add non-educational data such as social data to the dashboard. For example, if the teacher knows that the parents of a particular student are getting divorced or that a grandparent has died, the teacher is able to add this information to the data set and can see immediately whether the performance in class might somewhat be related to the happenings in the student's personal life.

"It can help to start out by asking yourself some important questions, such as "What can the iPad do that is not possible without it? Put another way, what problems does the iPad solve?" But the learning environment you're starting with can make a big difference as well. It's one thing to come up with individual lesson plans high on the wiz-bang factor, but low in terms of sustainability. Below are 4 distinct areas of instruction and instructional design that can help frame the concept of iPad integration. Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, and Integration."

"This website is here to guide you through the process of developing very basic operating systems on the Raspberry Pi! This website is aimed at people aged 16 and upwards, although younger readers may still find some of it accessible, particularly with assistance. More lessons may be added to this course in time. "

Refraction is an online puzzle game for teaching fractions. The game is not obviously a lesson in fractions, but requires knowledge of fractions to succeed.

This school year, I made a conscious decision to go paperless. Last year I carried around my computer to every class, a planner and a pen. I constantly lost the pen or the planner. I used a LOT of paper. On top of that, if I wanted to check when I completed a lesson, I'd have to flick through my planner, find the task then find when I started and fished.

Like most people I have lost many hours to Google Earth. As a geographer and teacher I have been trying to find ways to incorporate this tool into the social studies classroom. Over a year ago I started making my own Google Earth files. Throughout the past year, my father and I have spent countless hours working through technical issues creating what you see today. There are a few more improvements that still need to be made (when in doubt refresh the browser), but it works and is there for you to enjoy. I offer this tool to all teachers who want to create cool and engaging lessons for their students. In return I would appreciate feedback on how you use this site and potential improvements. Required Resources: This site looks best with IE7 and higher, Firefox 3 ((FF4-FF7 Fix), and Google Chrome. You must install the Google Earth Plug-in (Free, but you might need your IT administrator to install) and have broadband access.

Teaching Channel is a video showcase -- on the Internet and TV -- of inspiring and effective teaching practices in America's schools. We are a nonprofit organization. We believe what makes teachers inspiring is how they became experts-the hours and years they've dedicated to improving their craft to benefit their students. We're working everyday to capture their techniques on video so that all teachers-new or seasoned-have a place to find inspiration. Of course you could just lean back and admire great stories, but we also provide tools to take a few notes, trade ideas, and even build your own personal workspace. And because we know teaching is not one-size-fits-all, we tailored our technology so you can find what works best for you.

Teaching Channel is a video showcase -- on the Internet and TV -- of innovative and effective teaching practices in America's schools.

"With the rise of the blended learning model of education, video is becoming an increasingly important medium for instruction. The essential components of blended learning - such as flipped classrooms, MOOCs and "Bring Your Own Device" programs - are facilitated by video instruction to ensure the personalization and flexibility of a digitized education system"

"Quandary is a free, online game that engages your students in ethical decision-making and develops skills that will help them recognize ethical issues and deal with challenging situations in their own lives. This page brings together all the information you need to successfully implement Quandary as part of your teaching, including a handy teacher guide, classroom implementation video, lesson plan and worksheet. We've also mapped the game to the Common Core standards. And don't forget to head over to the teachers' forum to share your own ideas and discuss tips and techniques from other educators."

These useful tools give students the right tools to narrate, animate, and dictate. The post will explains them to teachers by giving some examples of how to incorporate art and design lesson plans into their existing courses.

Lots of podcast interviews with new book authors on all kinds of subjects. iTunes. Useful for lesson source material.

"There was a lot of head-nodding around the office when Jason Orbaugh's article for EdSurge "Lessons from the Downfall of Interactive Whiteboards" made the rounds on TechSmith's internal social media site few months back. When we visit schools and ask teachers how they're actually using their IWBs, the answers would probably surprise the people who wrote the checks for these devices. But we're making a huge bet that things are going to be different with Chromebooks. Why? "

"A Guide to the iPad in Primary Education is breakdown of how the iPad can be used successfully as both a learning tool for pupils and a teaching aid. With so many Primary Schools now equipping their teachers and students with iPads, more and more apps and resources are becoming available. This guide presents apps and techniques that have been used successfully in the Primary classroom. The book is divided into subject areas for quick reference, including Literacy, Numeracy, Science and Early Years Foundation Stage. Includes over 100 apps and techniques that will enhance lessons. "

"Built for educators, Tynker Scholastic offers lesson plans, interactive tutorials, and class management tools."

EdGames contains downloadable games, game templates and utilities that can be used to enhance any lessons. Powerpoint, Excel and Word templates provided.

"Learning can open doors to a better life. GCFLearnFree.org is a new approach to learning. It's learning that fits your needs and schedule. Over 1 million learners have taken advantage of our free lessons and we're adding new content everyday."

"This site has been put together by a small group of teachers and teacher educators convened by the DfE's Teaching Agency and chaired by Bob Harrison. Our aim has been to curate a collection of resources for use by those training teachers to deliver the new primary computing curriculum, whether for trainees' individual use, for use in lectures and workshops or for trainees to use as resources for their own lessons when working in school."