Maple Links

"TouchCast is an iPad app that I downloaded recently and have been exploring a bit over the last couple of weeks. It's not often an app come along which really shakes up and existing genre like video, but I think TouchCast does and in a way that can be very beneficial for learners."

"Why wait for a formal workshop environment to start improving your teaching craft, when there are so many opportunities to build your network and learn new skills on your own? We've compiled a list of the best resources for do-it-yourself PD to get you started."

"Thanks to our fabulous ambassador Suzy Brooks, we've connected the dots with awesome New Zealand-based company Puteko to bring you this fantastic new International Dot Day colAR coloring activity. Watch your dot go from 2D to stunning 3D! Here are some photos from Peter H. Reynolds, author of The Dot. Peter created his dot, followed the instructions below - and voilà:"

"Today, I'm going to tell you a fairy tale: Once upon a time, my mother in law (a third grade teacher) was in her classroom at school when her principal walked in and gave her an iPad for her class to use. Well, technically it was supposed to be for the entire third grade to share, but that's almost beside the point. After some initial excitement, she discussed how the entire third grade was supposed to share a single iPad with her fellow third grade teachers, and the iPad was promptly banished into a drawer, never to see the light of day again. The end."

"Learnist is one of the hot education-oriented social networks you should know about. If you're a teacher, student, administrator, or anyone who wants to learn while browsing the web, you should know about Learnist. Founded by the folks behind Grockit (the test-prep company), I've been following Learnist since inception. This course is a quick overview of all the key points to know about! Take This Course Students "

"Boundless is making education more accessible and affordable. Boundless is building an innovative learning platform that curates the world's best open educational content in more than 20 subjects and delivers interactive learning tools to college students. Students at thousands of colleges are ditching expensive textbooks and discovering Boundless Learning Technologies that go way beyond traditional books. Boundless textbooks are available for free and premium across multiple channels, including mobile, website and iBooks. Learn more at www.boundless.com. Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1442597#ixzz2dXlFPIUR "

"Google Alerts is one of Google's hidden gems. It's a really powerful tool to keep track of trends, interesting topics, or anything really new that appears on the web. If you're not using it already, here are a few creative ways to get started with it."

"The Maker Movement is a technological and creative revolution underway around the world. Fortunately for educators, the Maker Movement overlaps with the natural inclinations of children and the power of learning by doing. Embracing the lessons of the Maker Movement holds the keys to reanimating the best, but oft-forgotten learner-centered teaching practices."

"As technology transforms the classroom, teaching is changing as well. When students head back to school this year, they may discover that monotonous lectures and mundane activities are a thing of the past when their teachers decide to flip the classroom. Educators across the globe will take a pledge to flip one lesson on Friday, Sept. 6, the first "Flipped Day". Hundreds of educators from 10 countries have already taken the pledge to use this innovative model of instruction on that day."

"MasteryConnect just released a new Next Generation Science Standards app on iOS and Android (the windows version comes out next week). Like MasteryConnect's Common Core State Standards app, the free science app is a great resource for teachers, parents, and students. The app is easy to navigate. You can search by grade level, topic or keyword. Encouraging integration, the new science app also makes referencing standards in the Common Core so easy."

"The idea of this Skype lesson is to have students visit every province and territory across Canada so that they can gain knowledge of and an appreciation for everything this beautiful country has to offer."

"oday I am sharing with you some interesting iPad apps to help your students manage their homework. Check them out below and let us know what you think of them:"

"Evernote is one of the apps I use on everyday basis. I have already featured it in my "top 10 web tools as a teacher ". I know there are several other tools that can do the same and I have reviewed some of them here in Educational Technology and Mobile Learning, but the powerful features Evernote exhibits together with its ease of use make out of this app one of the must have for every teacher and student."

"David Wilcox, of Musings on the Middle Years of Education, and I have worked together to create an infographic about the teen brain. It is based on a blog post he wrote over a year ago (Click here for that post) to tackle the issue of Why Teens Forget. Through lots of research, checking facts, and rechecking facts, we have found that teens forgetfulness may be due to major changes in their brain. These changes can last into the college years. While there is research that demonstrates the increased forgetfulness of "teens," we also found that research suggests this time period is an awesome explosion of learning and discovery that takes them into adulthood."