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Blogger, Larry Ferlazzo, provides his list of best Web 2.0 applications so far for 2016. Many of the applications have to do with ELL and ESL; however, these applications could be used with lessons in any classroom. He also provides lists from prior years.

Blogger, Larry Ferlazzo, provides his list of best Web 2.0 applications so far for 2016. Many of the applications have to do with ELL and ESL; however, these applications could be used with lessons in any classroom. He also provides lists from prior years.

This last year I have incorporated Wordpress within my curriculum throughout all of the classes that I teach. I consider this a part of Communities of Practice and a form of social networking within the classroom. It has helped my students become viable producers of technology than just consumers. This site discusses the best practices of Wordpress within a classroom. A good source of information.

Want to master the art and science of Blockchain and become a blockchain expert? But don't know where to start? The article below suggests the best Blockchain book to refer to and achieve new heights.

From the intro "There are some very popular tools and apps out there. We showcase a boatload of them here on Edudemic. But there's been a growing trend of figuring out how to actually integrate all these together and how to effectively use the best web tools to enhance learning in the classroom."

This blog post is self-explanatory with the title, but what caught my eye was the graphic representation of "Design Your PLN." The author also wrote another article to benefit all educators regardless of subject: http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2010/12/21/the-best-guides-for-helping-teachers-develop-personal-learning-networks/

That is a cool graphic. I like the 4 categories and the designation of high or low profile, commitment level, and communication stream. I only recognized about half of the logos/icons in the boxes so I need to find out more!

I found the image used in this article and put it on my blog post. In thinking about my uses of PLNs, I haven't really considered the impact they could have on the ESL community. This is a great resource for a friend of mine that works with the parents of ELL students.

On this page you will find the best 166 free Windows programs for all your needs. This is truly a great resource for those who use a PC.

Links to the best sources for educational videos on the web

Technology Integration
Research & Best Practices

This article describes the process of growth of the community of practice of SEDA, the Staff and Educational Development Association. Members of the community went from being on the outskirts, learning from others but not bringing anything new to the table. Then, as they grew, they later became mentors and trainers to those around them. In particular, phrases like "element of selflessness" and "stewarding knowledge" best describe the feeling and attitude of the article.

This article describes the process of growth of the community of practice of SEDA, the Staff and Educational Development Association. Members of the community went from being on the outskirts, learning from others but not bringing anything new to the table. Then, as they grew, they later became mentors and trainers to those around them. In particular, phrases like "element of selflessness" and "stewarding knowledge" best describe the feeling and attitude of the article.

February 13, 2015 Looking for some interactive whiteboard apps to use in your class? The titles below are among the best you can find out there. These apps will enable you to brainstorm and organize your ideas visually. They are also ideal for joint collaboration on a classroom project or for working on a shared presentation.

American Association of School Librarians annual list of best websites for teaching and learning. Many Web 2.0 Tools on a list divided by types of tools and aligned to Standards for the 21st-Century Learner

These are flipped TED lessons--a great resource for educators. Each video is professionally animated and narrated. Best of all, you can flip any YouTube video using TED Ed.

Absolutely love this website. TEDEd allows educators to create and share lessons built around YouTube videos. The embedded lesson creator allows users to 1) FIND video content through an integrated search panel, 2) SELECT a video or lesson to be customized, and 3) FLIP a video by adding questions, notes, and content. The TEDEd library is continually growing and is searchable and browsable by series and subject. Grades K-12. Tip: The best lessons are curated by volunteer teachers and TEDEd and compiled under the Best Flips tab. If you're looking for teaching inspiration, look no further!

This is a great collection of videos and lesson plans for educational use. The videos are searchable by subject.

Graphite is a website created by teachers which is a searchable collection of educational technology resources for teachers.

Common Sense Graphite is a site by teachers, for teachers that helps you find the best educational technology resources and learn the best practices for implementing them in your classroom. Brought to you by Common Sense Media: Empowering kids to thrive in a world of media and technology.

What kinds of questions should we be asking about web resources before using them in the classroom? Read Part 2 of Mike Gorman's series on the best ways to vet classroom resources. 

What kinds of questions should we be asking about web resources before using them in the classroom? Read Part 2 of Mike Gorman's series on the best ways to vet classroom resources. 

SUMMARY: This page found on the Education 2020 Wiki details Connectivism theory and provides resources that help clarify the unique components of this theory compared to others. I found myself exploring the site more deeply and I appreciated the vast amounts of resources and clarifications available on this wiki. Feel free to get lost in it too!

This is a neat little article on connectivism. The best part is that it has a video contained within it by George Siemens that really helps you understand what this idea is getting at.

Connectivism is learning for the digital age. This article does a great job at explaining the principles of connectivism."Learning is a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements - not entirely under the control of the individual."

Crowley writes about how to effectively build a PLN, but goes much more in depth than just listing out three basic steps. She details why PLNs are so beneficial, especially to teachers. I appreciate that she covers the doubts and frustrations someone may have when establishing a PLN and offers ways to help someone from being overwhelmed.

A Professional Learning Network does not need to be a stress inducing task. A PLN should be a changing group of connections that people can join to connect with like minded people who share values, passions, and areas of expertise. When used in education, it connects teachers all across the world and gives it's members with different perspectives on education. PLNs often use technology to drive the connections. When creating or joining a PLN, there are three steps to think about. The first step is to find the professionals. This means that you need to find professional people who share an interest and value with yourself. Once you have found those people, follow them on social media or their blogs to stay connected with them. The second step is to find your niche group. A niche in a PLN is a place where people gather around similar interests or experiences. The final step is to find your PLN buddies and mentors. These are people you have really connected with and who help to expand your thinking. The best part about a PLN is that it is driven by you. You have the ability to adapt your PLN to fit you and your needs. 

As a teacher who is new to PLN and using it as a forum to learn and share ideas, I thought it was a great article to help connect the new user. Like any connection, time and effort are needed to make the relationship work. This article was precise in effective ways to build a community and sustain a PLN. Thanks for sharing.

The author creates a great case in favor of digital PLNs. She explains why they are so important and relevant today. The emphasis of the article is on the need to work together, not on best practices, but rather on emerging practices. The author takes the stance that best practices require training with known knowledge for known outcomes. While we should be collaborating and innovating together to tackle the emerging practices.

In this article, the author explains why you should build a PLN, why PLNs are important, how to build a PLN, characteristics of a PLN, and skills needed to build a PLN. We need to stay relevant and connected with our personal development and can do that through PLNs. In the 21st Century, it is essential and key to success to stay informed, updated, and connected. PLNs make it easy to learn at the pace of change.

This article discusses why building personal learning networks is important when information changes constantly. The key to survival is learning how to learn continuously through building Personal Learning Networks. Creating networks where people can collaborate and learn from each other in order to remain on the cutting edge. PLNs allow for continuous learning, exchange of thoughts and ideas, and validate and challenge one's thoughts among a diverse group of individuals. PLNs have to be a sharing process of ideas.

Website on best educational software that has been evaluated by educators and parents alike and discusses software on geography, math, music, spelling, thinking skills and even writing.

Best practices for app development

This is a free math website with no logins required. I especially like to use it for math fact practice. You can pick which facts to test, and then have students race to see how many they can do in a certain time and try to beat their personal best. I also like to put it on the Smartboard and have students compete as a class to beat the class's best time. It's very basic which makes it easy to implement.