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Looking at the New Directions for school leadership and the teaching profession discussion paper, the only evidence presented to support the assertion that Victoria's education outcomes are not improving is the report "Challenges in Australian Education: results from PISA 2009: the PISA 2009 assessment of students' reading, mathematical and scientific literacy" Specifically the New Directions paper focuses on reading literacy, where in 2009, 14,251 students were given a two-hour pen and paper comprehension test. To get an idea of what types of competencies the reading test is assessing we can look at the sample test , with questions range from comprehension about a letter in a newspaper, the ability to interpret a receipt, comprehension around a short story, an informational text, and interpreting a table. While it doesn't seem unreasonable to want our students to be able to accurately perform these kind of tasks, these tests are not a true or accurate representation of the skills and competencies our students need in today's technology driven world.

This is a neat annotated list of apps that address the following needs I want my students to record and edit video on the iPad.  I want my students to record and / or edit audio on the iPad.  I want my students to read class content on the iPad.  I want my students to annotate course readings on the iPad  I want my students to be able to use audio books on the iPad.  I want my students to use the iPad as a digitial notebook / note-taking device.  I want my students to use their iPads to create screencasts to share and demonstrate their understanding. I want my students to create presentations on the iPad.  I want my students to create digital stories on the iPad.  I want my students to be able to study with the iPad.  I want to use the iPad as a student response system.  I want my students to create written content on the iPad.  I want my students to blog on the iPad. I want my students to create ePubs / iBooks to read on the iPad.

app recommendations teachers in classroom

Word mover is designed to help students develop poems and short stories. When students open Word Mover they are shown a selection of words that they can drag onto a canvas to construct adesigned to help students develop poems and short stories. When students open Word Mover they are shown a selection of words that they can drag onto a canvas to construct a poem or story. Word Mover provides students with eight canvas backgrounds on which they can construct their poems. poem or story. Word Mover provides students with eight canvas backgrounds on which they can construct their poems.

Last month, I blogged about the choice I gave my statistics students between using Diigo and Pinterest for the social bookmarking assignments in the course. I floated two possible reasons why most of my students selected Diigo over Pinterest: Hypothesis 1: Students choosing Diigo over Pinterest selected the service that seemed more academic. Hypothesis 2: Pinterest has the reputation for being a site mainly for women. Most of my engineering students are men, so they opted for the less gendered option, Diigo. Hypotheses are all well and good, but I wanted some evidence, so I asked my students on their end-of-semester survey why they selected the platform they did. Of my 71 students, 45 responded to this question.

Central to the ethos of Anipix Animation Academy is its unwavering dedication to providing students with comprehensive knowledge and practical skills in animation. Led by a team of industry experts and seasoned professionals, Anipix ensures that students receive the highest quality of education and training. Through a meticulously crafted curriculum that blends theoretical understanding with hands-on experience, students are empowered to explore the depths of their creativity and develop mastery in 2D & 3D animation, as well as visual effects. What sets Anipix apart is its proactive approach to preparing students for success in the competitive animation industry. Beyond technical instruction, the academy offers a range of industry-oriented programs designed to equip students with the skills, insights, and connections needed to thrive in today's animation landscape. From industry-relevant projects and collaborative initiatives to guest lectures by leading professionals, Anipix provides students with a holistic learning experience that extends far beyond the classroom.

To be checked 

Create interactive classes with ease Using the Nearpod Content Tool, simply upload a pdf or start a new presentation and add interactive features. Share content in real time Push information, questions, and activities to students' mobile devices. Engage students Multimedia content harnesses students' attention, keeping them focused and minimizing off-task behavior. Control students' devices Teachers can see all student activity in real-time, check attendance and identify students who log out from Nearpod.

"It is a common view that "if only someone could break this down and explain it clearly enough, more students would understand." Khan Academy is a great example of this approach with its clear, concise videos on science. However it is debatable whether they really work. Research has shown that these types of videos may be positively received by students. They feel like they are learning and become more confident in their answers, but tests reveal they haven't learned anything. The apparent reason for the discrepancy is misconceptions. Students have existing ideas about scientific phenomena before viewing a video. If the video presents scientific concepts in a clear, well illustrated way, students believe they are learning but they do not engage with the media on a deep enough level to realize that what was is presented differs from their prior knowledge. There is hope, however. Presenting students' common misconceptions in a video alongside the scientific concepts has been shown to increase learning by increasing the amount of mental effort students expend while watching it."

"September 27, 2014 Projecting your iPad on a large screen is great for demonstrations, simulations, explanations, and showing examples. There are several ways this can be done in the classroom.  VGA or HDMI Adapter Connect directly from your device to a projector's video cable. Click to find out which of the four possible adapters is the one you need. Document Camera Put your device under a camera connected to a projector. Glare may be a problem. Your audience can see your fingers.. Search Amazon for document cameras. Apple TV Connect an Apple TV to your projector and use your device's AirPlay feature to mirror the screen. Apple TV is available from Amazon.com. AirServer Install software on your projector-connected computer and use device's AirPlay feature to mirror the screen. Get AirServer at airserver.com. Annotate.net Install software on your projector-connected computer and use device's AirPlay feature to mirror the screen. Download the Annotate Mirror Client.  Mirroring360 Install software on your projector-connected computer and use device's AirPlay feature to mirror the screen. Download Mirroring360. Reflector Install software on your projector-connected computer and use device's AirPlay feature to mirror the screen. Get Reflector at reflectorapp.com. X-Mirage Install software on your projector-connected computer and use device's AirPlay feature to mirror the screen. Get X-Mirage. iTools Install software on your projector-connected computer and attach device using its USB cable and choose Live Desktop. Macs can wirelessly mirror to iTools. It's beta software with no documentation and can be buggy. English version currently not available. OS X 10.10 Yosemite Update to OS X Yosemite on your projector-connected Mac and attach device using its Lightning cable. Open QuckTime & choose iPad as the camera source.  If you don't mind keeping your iPad in one spot, then a VGA adapter (for 30-pin Dock connector or for the new Lightning

"A Tennessee experiment found that some teachers were able to help students learn vastly more than other teachers. The effect largely disappeared by junior high, based on test scores. Yet for the the students in adulthood, it was discovered that the legacy of kindergarten had re-emerged. Students who had learned much more in kindergarten were more likely to go to college than students with otherwise similar backgrounds."

Kindergardten teachers should be proud to read this report.

Our new site, now accepting student content. StudentCreated.TV is a free, educational "kids teaching kids" project featuring Student-Created Tutorials for all school subjects. Mr. Marcos & his Students (of Mathtrain.TV) at Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica, CA as well as students from around the globe are invited to contribute. Site works on mobile devices, such as iPads and iPhones.

eLearning Programs is a Department of Education  curriculum service which offers schools a variety of online K-10 courses and programs which can complement, augment or extend local provision and provide students with access to educational experiences and opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable.  It includes options for students identified as highly able or gifted (CELO Online), and some online VET courses for students in years 11-12.  The courses students undertake are usually delivered by  an online delivery teacher with the support and supervision of the students' own school. eLearning programs vary in length and nature; for example some are full year subjects while others are term by term opportunities.

Google Chrome is such a great resource for students. First things first, the browser allows users to sign in to Chrome anywhere and bring up bookmarks, history, and settings, an incredible feature for students on-the-go who are using multiple computers. In addition to this useful feature are a wealth of awesome extensions that students can use to save time and concentrate their efforts. We've found 21 time-saving Chrome extensions that students can put to use, from note-taking apps to books, citations, and reminders.

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.

In 2012 Musgrave Hill SS is entering a new phase in learning as we begin an Apple trial to investigate the effectiveness of iPads for all students, in particular special needs students in mainstream classrooms. We have three target classrooms working with iPads 1:2 with students and two sets of six iPads available for all classes to borrow for use inteaching and learning. The classes in the 1:2 project have several special needs students and a teams of teachers and aides who will support the students, their learning and the project. We will document the iPad Project and provide data that we hope will substantiate our belief that iPads and many other digital technologies are essential to support teaching and learning at our school in the 21st Century.

"Infuse Learning is a free student response system that works with any Internet-connected device including iPads and Android tablets. Infuse Learning allows teachers to push questions, prompts, and quizzes out to students' devices in private virtual classrooms. In an Infuse Learning room a teacher can give students a wide variety of formats in which to response to a question or prompt. Students can reply to prompts and questions in standard multiple choice, true/false, and short answer formats. But Infuse Learning also offers an option for students to reply by creating drawings or diagrams on their iPads, Android tablets, or on their laptops."

"f the promise of mobile technology in classrooms has been to equalize opportunities for all students through access to the internet, that potential has yet to be realized. The reality is that while some teachers have found powerful ways to use mobile devices - both those owned by students and those purchased by the school - teachers at schools in very low-income areas are often battling a persistent student culture of disengagement. Many students have learning gaps that make it hard for them to stay interested in grade level materials and little desire to be in school at all. "

"Being able to solve everyday complex problems through communication and cooporation with others are the skills that students need to learn and practice to prepare for the future. Communicating effectively and efficiently with diverse audiences and solving everyday problems are important in a society that is moving at a rapid pace in a Global Market. The ability to solve everyday complex problems is an important and necessary skill for students today. Problem based learning (PBL) provides a learning environment students require to resolve everyday problems while applying previous and learning new knowledge. Cooperative learning, as a part of PBL, allows students the opportunity to communicate ideas and knowledege. As a teacher it is also important to communicate effectively with students to guide the learning process as well as model how to question and reason through a problem. The web-enhanced 3 part seminar series is designed to review and apply the basics of PBL to allow you to create a PBL unit to use within your own classroom."

This is a fabulous introduction to using Diigo in schools. "Welcome to Student Learning with Diigo. This site was completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements of of ISLT 9440, Learning with the Internet, a graduate class, during the Fall 2010 from the University of Missouri. Educators, worldwide, have enjoyed the use of this social bookmarking site. Diigo is a great web-based tool for teachers to utilize, to motivate, and to engage students of all ages in the learning process. We invite you to explore the various features of Diigo. Become educated and informed on the powerful use of Diigo for student learning. Learn how this research tool can enhance classroom instruction and promote higher levels of student collaboration. As you navigate through our site you will see examples of valuable lessons and resources, all displayed for your use. Set up your account now. This research tool is every educator's dream."

Student blogging is not a project, but a process. We are continuously striving to refine, improve and re-evaluate. As I am meeting with teachers individually, I can't stress enough the importance of READING other blogs (professional, student, blogs about your hobby, blogs about other interests you have etc.). I am trying to filter and funnel quality blogs in education, their grade level and  areas of interest to them as I come across them, so they can build a quality RSS Reader. BUT.. we need their help in having a basic understanding of blogs, its pedagogical uses, as a platform of a new writing genre (digital writing) and how our blogfolios fit into your curriculum and the BIG PICTURE of LEARNING. The blogfolios are not a platform to use only for a particular subject, but should give evidence of learning for each student.

"An Internet search engine developed specifically for schools is being tested as a way to increase reading abilities in challenged students and help motivate intellectual development in gifted students, while saving schools money on textbooks. Complexity Engine uses a sophisticated algorithm to search websites for content and delivers free, customized and age-appropriate reading materials to a user's computer. It promises to give teachers, parents and students an efficient, affordable way to promote reading. Teachers and administrators can set parameters for the search results, and the reading experience can be either student self-directed or guided by the teacher."