Graphite

Common Sense Media has released a free service, Graphite, helping educators discover apps and websites for their students.

Amy Wilson wrote an article, "5 Ways Graphite Helps Teachers Implement Common Core State Standards," discussing the best ways for teachers to use Graphite.

Common Core State Standards

A great resource for school librarians:

Implementing the Common Core State Standards: 

The Role of The School Librarian 

 A great starting point for librarians to learn how they can assist in implementing the Common Core Standards.

What other resources are available?

Computer Science Education Week

What are you doing for Computer Science Week?

Check out these sites to learn the basics of computer programming and writing code:

Code.org

Khan Academy

What sites have you used?

Websites for Webinars

eSchool News published an article entitled:

5 Wonderful Websites for Educational Webinars

It always difficult to find individualized professional development.  These sites could be extremely useful for educators. 

Shutterbug App

Here's a great iPad App:

Shutterbugs: Wiggle And Stomp

Created by Smithsonian Science Education Center, the app allows young learners to discover rare animals.  It even has a feature allowing users to print coloring-page printouts.

eSchool News posted a review of it earlier this week.

How could you use this app?

Homework Resources

I stumbled across this article from eSchool News:

16 Engaging Homework Help Resources

Many of them are free and for Math.  Do you have an favorite homework resources?

PBS Learning Media

Great news!  PBS Learning Media provides free access to their entire digital resource collection through Nov 1.

WikiBrains

eSchool News recently released an article about a new "online, digital brainstorming platform" that lets users connect and communicate ideas on a certain topic.

The article: New This Fall: Free, Popular Digital Tools

The tool:  WikiBrains

The idea behind WikiBrains is to have a forum for creative minds to work together to brainstorm ideas, share ideas, and create new meaning/projects.  This is exactly what I want my students to do.  How would you use WikiBrains?

Screen Capturing Programs

I use Feedly as my RSS reader.  One of the blogs/news outlets I follow is Free Tech 4 Teachers.  They recently had a post, Tools for Creating Creating Screen Capture Images and Videos, about different screen capturing programs.

I haven't had a chance to try all of them, but I know Jing is a good product.

Which one's your favorite?

21st Century Skills

One of the more critical things I do as a librarian/tech teacher is ensure 21st Century Skills are being taught to our students.

Here's an article from eSchool News:

Teaching Critical 21st Century Skills

It explains how to integrate the "Four C's: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity."

Here's a link to the 21st Century Skills.

Flipped Classrooms

Here's an article explaining ways to flip your classroom:

Creating Videos for Flipped Learning

Also, if you're interested in learning more about Flipped Classrooms: join this webinar.

Title: To Flip or Not to Flip

Date: September 18, 2013

Time: 2pm EST / 11am PST

Mathlanding

A free math resource for elementary students:

Mathlanding

"...the website is a dynamic resource to help support the professional development needs of elementary educators in building mathematical knowledge and instructional practice. It includes videos of exemplary instructional practices, as well as lessons, games, activities, and articles."
--eSchool News

Microsoft Bing

Bing For Schools

Microsoft, through their search engine, Bing, offers free digital citizenship/literacy lesson plans.

www.bing.com/schools

Common Core Resources

With the new Common Core Standards, we all need resources, right?!?

Here's an article from eSchool News:

New Common Core Resources for Educators by Meris Stansburg

"The resources, housed on Activate Instruction, are part of an open platform where educators can browse, search, rate, add, share, and organize their favorite Common Core-aligned resources, and put them together in personalized playlists for students."

What resources are you using?

Promethean Board training

Today, I'm at Grant Beacon Middle School for Promethean Board training.

www.prometheanplanet.com
     -under Professional Development--free training, tips, & best practices
     -Webinar trainings--perfect for teachers
     -free material & shared flipcharts
     -ActivTips--perfect if you can't wait for DPS to train you

How do you use your Promethean Board?

Tech Tools for Writing

I recently read an article from eSchool News:

13 Inexpensive Ed-tech Tools for Writing 

 

Plenty of  tools/apps for elementary students including:

1) Primary Pad -- shows students how to peer edit

2) Toontastic -- digital storytelling

3) Storybird -- social storytelling

4) Story Dice -- story-starters

5) Kidblog -- classroom blogs

iPads, iPads, iPads

After a long hiatus, I'm back to blogging!!!

Recently, I accepted a position at Steck Elementary within DPS.  Part of my new job consists of acting as the school's technology rep (leading professional development).  We recently purchased iPads for the building and I just happened to stumble upon this article from eSchool News:

How to Have More Meaningful iPad Professional Development

Main points:
1) We often focus on "nuts and bolts" of a tech tool, but we should be focused on how to implement.
2) Implementation includes thinking about existing curriculum, current pedagaogy, & collaboration.
3) Learning and Creating with iPads in Kindergarten-- youtube video of iPads in use
4) EdTtech Teacher--helpful website for iPad implementation
5) Edcamp--free, online professional development