The iPads are coming!!!

February 1, 2012
I didn't write about this until now, partially because I didn't want to jinx it...but I applied for one Lakeville School's iPad grants.  The grants are for class sets of iPads, and I am so happy to say that the recipients were announced today... and....drumroll please....the iPads are coming!!!  

Before I go any farther, I have to say that I had several collaborating teachers who coauthored the grant with me.  My wonderful colleagues, Maureen Long (3rd grade teacher) and Karen Osborn (4th grade teacher) will also be integrating the iPads into their classrooms.  Maureen is planning to have her students map the places from their literature...traveling the world from the 9" by 7" screens in their hands.  Karen is planning on infusing the iPads into her literacy lessons with a variety of apps that she has painstakingly researched.   I am planning on using a voice to text app (Dragon) for my youngest students and video blog about internet safety with my older students.  I am hoping to use Facetime to have students join a book club with students in our sister school, Eastview Elementary.  So many ideas, so many apps, so much to learn and not enough time in the day!

Most important in all of our excitement is our belief that this technology will provide a creative tool for our students.  I know it is certainly stimulating us to be more creative teachers!  Though I am not yet certain what the timeline will be for actually receiving the iPads sets,  I know it is soon.  Stay tuned.

So Inspiring....

I found this vimeo truly inspiring.  I don't know whether it is because it so eloquently describes what I have discovered to be true over my years in technology staff development, or because if you watch all the way to end, it gives hope that almost everyone will eventually arrive in the first carriage of the technology innovation train!  Either way, I had to share it.

Three Carriage Train

 I found this vimeo reading one of my favorite bloggers out of Chicago, Jennie Magiera, which in turn led me to the videos by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, who is the creator of SAMR, a four-level approach to selecting, using, and evaluating technology in education.  The SAMR (Substitute>Augment> Modify >Redefine) model.  I find myself asking the question of myself...am I redefining as I consider new tech infusion lesson ideas?  It is a great question to keep in mind!

TIES 2011 - It's Personal!!

This year I decided to summarize my TIES conference with Prezi!  Another of my favorite presentation sites!

TIES 2011 on Prezi

Bloom's Taxonomy and iPad Apps!

In one of my rounds to my favorite blogs and online periodicals, I found a great article at Edutopia by Diane Darrow.  It lists great iPad apps for developing high order thinking skills. Each list will highlight a few apps that connect to the various stages on Bloom's continuum of learning.

I found it fascinating reading and discovered several new apps I am anxious to try!!

Edutopia's iPad Apps and Bloom's Taxonomy

Evernote

At the recent AASL conference, one of the sessions I attended was dedicated to the the Best Websites for Teaching and Learning for 2011.  They were selected based on their exceptional value to inquiry-based teaching and learning as embodied in the American Association of School Librarians' Standards for the 21st-Century Learner.    ALA's Best Websites of 2011

One of the websites selected for 2011 was Evernote.  Evernote is useful to save your ideas, things you see, and things you like.  I am always looking for new ways to organize my lessons at work, so I decided to give Evernote a try.   I have just started organizing my media lessons on this site.  Now I can share with my lessons with my media colleagues and pull my lessons up no matter where I am or what device I am using it.  So far, I have found it to be very useful. 

Prezi - Every Students Dream!!!

Do you want your students to think you are absolutely the coolest teacher around?  Want them to learn lesson content and have fun?  Give them Prezi!!!  Prezi requires each student to have an individual email account, but once they are on, it is easy to see why it is so engaging.  Creating a presentation in Prezi has an intuitive quality.  I found it a bit addicting!

Just for Fun and for the Dog Lovers!!!

The Bark Side

Google Sites

For years I had my third grade students create a classroom cookbook to teach them word processing skills.  Then it occurred to me that they could learn these same essential skills and publish online using Google Sites.    It is easy for teachers to set up and assign students access without each child having an email address.   Still ahead...once I have student email addresses, I would love to have a site for each student!

Google Chrome

So I made the switch and I am loving it.  I have always been a big believer in having more than one browser.  When a site doesn't work correctly on one browser, it is often more about the browser than the site.  I like the option to try more than one browser. (Safari and Firefox are still in the dock on my Mac)  But I recently began using Google Chrome.  Just like almost every other application Google has put out there....the user experience easy.  Also, I am a sucker for customization...and Chrome has a great many options to make it your own.

Screen Recordings in Quicktime - Who Knew!!!

Here are the step-by-step instructions for screencasting in Quicktime.

Blogger

When I began asking students to respond to questions on a blog I created using Blogger - a Google free application, I was excited to try something new with students.  Along the way, I found that it was an excellent way to publish student writing.  The students immediately "bought in" to the thought of having their words online.  I found that they didn't want to stop writing!! They were keenly aware that their audience just grew. It just doesn't get better than that!  Next I would like to have each student have their own blog with posts reflecting their learning from a variety of subjects.

Animoto

When I first discovered Animoto, I couldn't get enough.  It takes your photos, video clips and music and combines it all to produce what can be most closely described as a music video.  Create 30 second videos for free.  The fee for longer videos is quite reasonable!

Here is an example I created with 5th graders studying Ecosystems! Animoto

Yippee!!!! New iPad!!!

I am having fun with the newest addition to the family-  iPad 2.0!  We weren't out of the Best Buy parking lot before my youngest daughter had taken her picture and set it as the background.  It is amazing how quickly children embrace new technology!

Web 2.0 Presentation for Staff

I developed this Web 2.0 presentation using a cool website called SlideRocket.  It is a great alternative to Powerpoint. The beauty of SlideRocket is that you can create and edit a new presentation from anywhere you have internet access.  It is still a linear presentation, so for those who really like to break out of the box, Prezi is still probably their choice.  I think SlideRocket is clear and crisp with great transitions.

No YouTube??? - Try TeacherTube and SchoolTube!

Have you ever found the perfect video for one of your lessons on YouTube, only to realize that it is blocked by the district filter?  I have found most of the educational videos that I have wanted to use for lessons can also be found on TeacherTube and even occasionally on SchoolTube. 

Timeglider

Timeglider is an incredible educational tool for creating interactive timelines!  The application allows the user to include images, annotations and links for a totally interactive experience!  Excellent for history projects!

Big Huge Labs - Flickr Toys!

Big Huge Labs is just good fun.  The website's moto is..."Helping you do cool stuff with your digital photos since 2005. :-)".  Frankly they totally succeed in this mission.  Try it out, but only if you have an extra hour or two! 

Scratch

I first introduced Scratch to my classes 3 years ago.  Scratch captured their interest and imagination instantly!  Many of them went home and downloaded the program so they could continue working!  

Scratch is a programming language developed by MIT that makes it easy for students to create their own interactive stories and animations. 
Here is a simple example:  Blizzard In Progress

Wordle

Wordle is not new, but it never seems to get old!  Kids love it!  Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide.