Thursday, April 30, 2015

Internet Safety

Last night, we held an Internet Safety Night for parents and community members to attend. We discussed our use of Digital Passport, Common Sense Media as a tool for parents, and Common Sense's other website, Graphite. We had some great discussions about our students use of technology. Here's a link to my presentation. Let me know what you think.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Math & Literacy Songs

There have been numerous studies conducted around the benefits of songs in the classroom and their affects on learning. It's a great way to "engage learners in kinesthetic, auditory, and visual modalities. Using music in the classroom can create a positive, energized and focused environment. Music has even been shown to help bridge language gaps for English Language Learners." Just to name a few reasons from Rock 2 the Core's website. Rock 2 the Core is a website housing songs aligned to the Common Core Standards. As of now, Rock 2 the Core has songs for K-5 Math and Literacy.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Free Google Conference

On May 8 and 9, Google is holding a FREE educational online conference they are calling: Education on Air. You can sign up for the whole conference or just certain courses. Also, Levar Burton will be the keynote speaker this year. Reading Rainbow!!!! Click on this link to register and review the courses. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning has a full breakdown of the conference for you. That's how I found out about it.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Makerspaces

Recently, our 5th grade science/math teacher received a grant to purchase a 3D printer. The students LOVE it! They've printed a a life size human heart, braille dice, and other wonderful creations. They've been using Google SketchUp to design these creations.

Edudemic recently posted an article on how to make Makerspaces like the one we have in 5th grade. It's not all about 3D printers but also includes robotics, game creations, and Makey Makey. The article also includes videos to inspire students to become inventors.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Practical Ed Tech Videos

If you haven't been following Richard Byrne's blog, Free Technology for Teachers, you need to do so! He recently posted a list of his how-to videos (or screencasts) from Youtube. He calls the playlist his Practical Ed Tech Tips. He says, "In the playlist you will find videos about tools for flipping your classroom, videos on managing workflow, social media tips, search strategies, and media production. " Take a look around and see if you find anything helpful.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Youtube filters

If you've ever watched videos on Youtube, you can understand the desire to want to eliminate the "related" videos that show after you play the video you wanted. Free Technology for Teachers has a few options to get rid of those unwanted recommendations.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Book Websites

Here's an interesting read from Edudemic: Ten Websites to Help Students Connect with Books. As both a librarian and technology teacher, this just might be the perfect combination for both of my competencies :-) It can be a difficult task helping students find the perfect book for them, but many of the websites (Goodreads, especially) will offer suggestions for them. Any websites you would add to this list?

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Virtual Fieldtrips

Discovery Education provides FREE virtual field trips! Here's a list of all the field trips including ways to register. This another great free resources from Discovery Education, and here's a free review of the field trips from Free Technology for Teachers.

Monday, April 13, 2015

iPad Webinar

I've blogged about SimpleK12 in the past, and again, they are providing some excellent and FREE professional development for teachers. The most recent webinar, iPad Training, provides teachers with a day of learning THIS Saturday (April 18) from 8am-1:30pm MST. Like their other trainings, even if you can't make the webinar, the trainings will be saved for you to view at any time. What a great deal!

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Math Games Website

Here's a great site I recently discovered: MathGames. Users can find games according to the skill they want to practice, the Common Core standard they want to master, or by grade level. Students can create a FREE account and MathGames will track his/her progress through their account. Here's a link to information for parents.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Google Tips

Here's a great tool for all those Google lovers: Google Tips. It's a Chrome extensions allowing users to better use their Chrome browser. They also provide a Google Tips website showing users how to "do more, save time, have fun, be secure, and ask Google." You can read a full review on Educational Technology and Mobile Learning.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Simplek12

Welcome back from Spring Break 2015!!!

If you haven't heard of SimpleK12, it's a great resource for any teacher. It has an informative blog to follow and helpful webinars. This week's webinars include Microsoft Apps for Education and Webtools for Elementary Teachers. The best part about the webinars are you can sign up and watch them anytime.