Cool Tech Tools

We have a pretty nifty little thing in the summers at our school. It's called Summer Institute, and it's professional development by our teachers AND for our teachers. It's an in-house education program where teachers can take a myriad of classes taught by their colleagues. Some are one day (9 am -- 3 pm) while others are two days, depending on the topic and depth. There's a limit, so you have to be a little bit picky. But, if you are someone who loves learning, this is certainly your cup of tea!

Of the two sessions I co-taught this summer, one was "30 Cool Tools For Tech." It was a rapid-fire of really amazing edtech tools that are out there that teachers can use to help simplify their lives, their lessons, their presentations, and their assessments.

This PowToon resentation (which indeed was one of my favorites) was created to showcase my personal top 7 favorites. Below you'll see a list of 30+ tools (both websites and apps) you might want to check out to help put a new pep in your teaching step this year ahead!

 
Top 7 Personal EdTech Tools Summer 2017 from Vicki Dabrowka on Vimeo.

30+ Cool Tech Tools (in alphabetical order) to inspire you this fall:

1. Adobe Spark: Create short videos with included content/images that is simple to use. Videos can't be downloaded separately from app (online or on app)
2. Bookwidgets: Create widgets to be used for assessment, reviews, or assignments
3. Buncee: Online presentation maker with animations
4. Canva: Infographic and poster creator
5. Constitute Project: Explore world constitutions and compare side by side based on search term.
6. EdPuzzle: Upload videos and add questions, comments, audio tracks (Formerly Zaption)
7. Educreations: Screencasting/whiteboard app
8. Explain Everything: Screencasting/whiteboard app that has a collaboration tool
9. Flipgrid: A video platform where students can create mini movies to "show what they know"
10. Google Arts and Culture: Site with interactive exhibits and art museums. Capable of zooming into some art with incredible closeness
11. Google Street View: Go on virtual field trips through Google's 360 degree photo technology
12. Human 3.0: Online study of human anatomy
13. Kiosko: Displays the front pages of newspapers from around the world
14. Motivational Poster: Create motivational-style posters on iPads with images, headlines, and sentence summaries
15. Newsela: News site where reading levels can be differentiated. Online or printable activities/quizzes available
16. Nearpod: Create/upload slideshow and add interactive slides to engage students on their own devices
17. Padlet: Online discussion board for comments/note taking/KWLs and more
18. Pixabay: Free photos that are both Creative Commons and safe to use without asking permission
19. Plickers: Makes classes interactive with quizzing/surveys with a smart device and printable cards
20. Popplet (lite): Concept mapping
21. PowToon: Online presentation maker with animations
22. QR Code Generator: Creates QR codes easily, download to jpg to print
23. Quizlet: Create flashcards for review and study
24. Safeshare TV: Past the url of any YouTube video in to watch with no adds or pop ups to avoid the distraction
25. Screencast-o-matic: Easy screencasting 
26. Scrible: Annotate and save webpages
27. Seesaw: Digital Portfolio platform that is easy to use, for ages PK and up
28. Socrative: Create real time surveys, quizzes, and more. Online or on app (teacher app separate from student  app)
29. Soundcloud: Allows users to create, share, store audio files. Others can listen and comment on them as an audio social media
30. Sutori: Create online timelines (not printable)
31. Symbaloo: Create (or search for) "webmixes" filled with tiles for easy access to a variety of websites you program in
32. Tagul: Word cloud creator
33. TeacherTube: "Safe" version of YouTube, created specifically for teachers
34. Thinglink: Add  hotspots to images with videos, texts, ect
35. Timeline from Read Write Think: Create simple timelines on app or on their site. Site has lesson plans and a variety of other online interactive graphic organizers.
36. Wordflex Dictionary: Online (or app) visual interactive dictionary

PowToons from https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/dFXReLRBhUP/?mode=movie#/; Image from http://blog.whooosreading.org/13-new-edtech-tools-to-boost-engagement-2016/

Take Part in #ISTE17 This Weekend--Whether You Are There Or Not!

Football fanatics have the Superbowl.
Soccer fans have the World Cup.
Baseball aficionados have the World Series.
Movie lovers have the Academy Awards, while music lovers have the Grammy's.

If you are an #EdTech Teacher, your ultimate "Superbowl" is the annual ISTE conference.

And ISTE 2017, my friends, is THIS weekend: June 24th--28th, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas!

Man, do I wish I were there!

Disclaimer: I've never been to ISTE, but being a bit of a techno-nerd, it is on my bucket list. I'd be in my own personal nirvana! (Though I will say, that FETC 2016 was pretty darn awesome and a super second place!! And, as a Maryland environmental educator, MAEOE ranks right up there too!)

Typically 18,000+ teachers attend, and the learning and experience are at a global, exponential level. From Expo Hall to Keynotes, to workshops and networking, it's just downright like no other!


Like I said, I'm not going to be there this year either; however, listening to Vicki Davis (aka @CoolCatTeacher) and her "The 10-Minute Teacher" Podcast this week & interview with Peggy George (episode #105: "5 Ways to Participate in #ISTE17 Even If You're Not There #NotAtISTE17), I can be there without being there. That's pretty darn awesome!



If you are like me, and long to be there, you can learn from your couch, computer, car-ride commute, patio, or poolside these next few days ahead.  Check out the following:

• ISTE Schedule  (or download the ISTE app)
• Meet the Keynotes (These top two bullet points are so you can effectively drool at what you are missing!)
• Not At ISTE Google Plus Community
• Follow #ISTE17 or #ISTE2017 on Twitter
• Follow #NotAtISTE17 on Twitter
• Follow ISTE on Facebook
• #NotAtISTE17 Livebinder   
• If you are an Instagrammer...Check out @ISTEConnects
• Follow the presenters of ISTE at #PresentersOfISTE 
• Submit your email to follow along via EdTechHub to get emails straight to you.

And don't forget to check out ISTE resources for 2016 (just replace "17" with "16" to see what you missed last year.   You could have a boatload of professional development between them both and all these resources!  Which, let's be real, isn't that part of how we teachers spend part of our summer?!)

I'd love to hear about your favorite finds as you parallel travel alongside the ISTE Conference--whether you are there or not. I'm certainly going to be making my way along the above links myself!!

ISTE/Coolcat poster from http://www.coolcatteacher.com/5-ways-participate-iste17-even-youre-not-notatiste17/; 10 Minute Teacher Podcast from http://10minuteteacher.libsyn.com/5-ways-to-participate-in-iste17-even-if-youre-not-there-notatiste17-this-episode-is-sponsored-by-powerschool-i-am-so-excited-to-be-at-iste-with-powerschool-on-monday-june-26th-2017-at-4-pm-in-room-225-a-and-b-i-will-be-leading-a-panel-discussion-o; Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzBqHfSpSWw

Vicki Davis' Philosophy: "Innovate Like A Turtle"

Vicki Davis is the CoolCatTeacher. As an #edtech teacher myself, Vicki Davis is one of my top 5 go-to resources. She has a blog she maintains, as well as a YouTube channel, two podcasts, and is active on social media. Oh, yeah, and she's a full time teacher! She is the virtual queen of virtually everything for the classroom, talking about everything from technology to stress management.

Vicki's philosophy to "innovate like a turtle." What that means is she makes sure to do a little bit every day (or at least every other day) in order to keep propelling herself forward.



If you are looking to sharpen your sword, build in more classroom teaching techniques (especially of the #edtech variety), and "innovate like a turtle," here are some amazing resources of Vicki Davis' to dive into:

• 50+ Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom
• 3 Fast, Free Lesson Plans to Fight Fake News (so timely these days!)
• Every Classroom Matters
• Her bi-weekly podcast from March 2013 to January 31st, 2017. She has 298 episodes for you to catch up on!
• 10 Minute Teacher Podccast
• A new, 10 minute daily podcast. Given the archives & dates, this may be her ramped up version of Every Classroom Matters. She started this new podcast February 1st of this year.
• CoolCatTeacher Blog
• Find her 

• On YouTube
• On her Teacher Pay Teacher Store
• On Twitter
• On Facebook
• On Pinterest
• On Instagram

To learn more about Vicki Davis, click here to read her bio.


Images from http://www.coolcatteacher.com/; quote slide from https://twitter.com/emergingedtech/status/768820278990430208

#FETC & My Top 5 Finds (x 3)

Sometimes you just need a break from it all: the daily grind, the political noise, your home, & your day job. Being in Orlando at the Future of Education Technology Conference (or #FETC) was just the answer last week!

It wasn't just being in Orlando (rather than Maryland) at the end of January. (Yes, that was a delightful dose of Vitamin D and warmth mid-winter.)

It also wasn't just about reuniting with a former teaching colleague and soulmate. (That perhaps was even warmer than the sun!)

It was about being immersed in the latest and greatest current educational trends and being surrounded by educators as far as Canada and Alaska (and everywhere in between).


Makerspaces, coding, 3D printers, oh my!

It was the perfect venue for teachers who want to continue to hone their craft, stay current with the ever-changing field of technology, and learn of new and innovative ways to activate learning.

Between workshops & sessions, and a plethora of vendors and projects in the Expo Hall, my wheels were in overdrive. I've got new apps I want to try, new digital tools &websites to investigate, and a lot of notes to reread, absorb, & reflect on.

#FETC Rocks from Vicki Dabrowka on Vimeo.

It's amazing what you can pack into 3 days! Given that, here's the short list of my
Top 5 Favorite Finds from #FETC:

1. Powtoons--a video tool that will help you make fun, animated videos. Perfect for storytelling. (I created he above video with Powtoons.)

2. Buncee--an online creation tool where you can add visual elements and animations to inspire student voice and make learning fun.

3. PicMonkey--a photo editing tool with tons of free features. This could be helpful in teaching visual literacy and tone or moods in addition with using to create dynamic visual designs.

4. PhotoFunia--another fun photo tool with a lot of elements that could be used to integrate with literature, character analysis, thematic studies, and more

5. Aurasma--an augmented reality iPad app that create 3D images when viewed through the app, making stationary pictures come to life.

But wait! There's more! 

Also being at #FETC reminded me of 5 At-Home Favorites that I already knew about, but can't wait to go back and reuse in greater depth:

1. Kahoot--an interactive iPad quizzing game that could make for great reviews.

2. Seesaw--a digital portfolio platform that is kid-friendly and parent-adored, making it easy to bring the parents into seeing all the magic that happens in the classroom.

3. Chatterpix--a super way to animate student drawings by giving their pictures their own voice...straight from the the image's own mouth!

4. Tellegami--a place to make an talking avatar and an animated video!

5. Do Ink-- a green screen app that could literally help transport your students in their videos "out of this world!"


But wait! There's still more! 

Here are my Top 5 "Hands On, Minds on" Tools that teachers are using in their schools to make learning and computer programming come to life: (Click the green "hot spot" links on the Thing Link to learn more)

1. Little Bits                                 (We have these at my school.)
2. BeeBots & BlueBots                   (We have these at my school.)
3. Sphero
4. Bloxel
5. Osmo

But of course, a visit with Moby (of BrainPop fame), made my whole #FETC experience even richer and more memorable!

Powtoon video from  https://vimeo.com/201545389; STEAM Buncee from https://www.edu.buncee.com/buncee/v2/898828

Thinglink picture (https://www.thinglink.com/scene/882333141123989505) created in PicMonkey with images from https://www.playosmo.com/en/newton/; http://www.bloxelsbuilder.com/home/; http://www.sphero.com/sphero; http://www.huttscience.co.nz/resource-kits/weltec-bee-bots/; https://littlebits.cc/kits/smart-home-kit

All other photos from my camera from my 2017 #FETC experience!

Another Periodic Table of iPad Apps: STEAM-Style!

Mark Anderson, creator of The Updated Periodic Table of iPad Apps (Vol. 2), is at it again this summer, concocting yet another periodic table of apps.  This time, STEAM based apps!  Thank you Mark Anderson for your brilliance!!

For a higher resolution picture, click here to go to Mark's resource.

Next stop....getting busy at the Apps store!

Image from http://ictevangelist.com/periodic-table-steam-ipad-apps/

The Updated Periodic Table of iPad Apps

I love infographics, and this may just have topped the list of best one ever--especially related to the edtech world!  Behold, the iPad Perodic Table of Apps, Volume 2 created by Mark Anderson.

I love the color-coded highlighted skills of creativity, demonstrating, learning, workflow, teaching, collaboration, numeracy, and literacy. The only thing that could possibly make it better is if it were ThingLink hotspot-activated. Maybe that'll be a summer goal of mine.  On top of all the other personal agendas I have!  (Insert wink emoji here!)  Or, if anyone finds THAT one (or Mark Anderson, if you make one!), please let me know!!

For high definition image, you can find it here.

Then, go forth and send it to all of your #edtech buddies and pals who coexist with you in iPadLandia! Your next stop after that may just be your App Store!

Images from
http://emojipedia.org/winking-face/, periodic table image from http://ictevangelist.com/periodic-table-ipad-apps-vol-2/

A Tech Oasis at OESIS

Within the past week I was given two really spectacular gifts of personal realignment. My first one was a chance to reunite with nature on a field trip of canoeing & outdoor fun.  My second one was an opportunity to fly with 4 colleagues and meet up with our Head of School in Boston to attend a two-day educational technology conference. Given that being in tune with your inner-techie is newly "geek chic" this last decade or so, I was totally in my tech element at OESIS: The Online/Blended Education Symposium for Independent Schools. Add in, I was in good company with nearly 300 participants from 110 schools.

It's amazing how many sessions you can squeeze into a 2-day time period: 2-morning keynotes (comprised of 4 speakers each), 11 presentation sessions, a workshop or two during lunch, and 3 "Think Tank" sessions! My brain was serving as an extra-absorbent sponge! It's interesting to see how other schools are incorporating elements of flipped or blended classes, integrating online learning as a way to personalize and individualize the educational experiences to help students raise their own personal bar.  It's been interesting having discussions with people who are leaps and bounds ahead of us and how they are doing what they are in their schools; likewise, it's been interesting to see the ways in which we are ahead of the learning curve.

Along the way, during these two days, there has been a lot of talk about "change."  That (of course) serves more than #edtech.  "Change" is that one thing that is truly constant, and many of us fear.  Yet my favorite quote this week is:

One of my favorite slides showed how we are also in a state of changing technology--even 100 years ago.  Here's a modified version or that:

This image show a parallel place to where we are now.

As we move forward, it's only true that we wrestle a bit.  As you go forth, take note of where you are so you know where to go next.




Images from http://quozio.com/quote/6a8e9787#!t=1018, http://www.oesisgroup.com/; Old-timey photo in the Motivation app, and pic from the Photo Collection, Los Angeles Public Library.http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/7th-and-broadway.html

A Dandy of a Day at EdCamp MetroDC

It's always a good day for an EdCamp.  Today was no different.  The sunny day made for an easy drive down to Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart for EdCampMetroDC.

As per usual, the "Rule of 2 Feet" and "Have fun" were 2 of the driving tenets of the day.  You go where you want and take away as possible.  If you aren't in the right session to do that, find the right one for you.  All participants find they all serve as experts in one way or another, and everyone has a day of mutual learning. All for the best-price-ever for professional development:  FREE!

One of the most useful tools of the day is the schedule, which you can find here.  Yes, it was helpful in getting you get where you want to go next on campus. But it's perhaps the most helpful at THIS part of the day...when you are at home on the couch.  When you are reflecting back, perusing the Google doc links that are listed in each schedule block.  All day long, the participants are free to add to the mix of information.  A wealth begins.  It's like the gift that keeps giving, and there are so many good finds.  Here's a peek...but it's only an image. You need to go to the schedule here to get the links.

Here's what my day looked like (not a bad session in the bunch):

Session 1: Teach from your iPad/iPad apps galore

Session 2:  "Things that suck, things that rock" (a unique whole body way of discussing education trends with colleagues by moving to the area of the room that matches your answer.  This could apply to any concept in any classroom--thoough with younger kids, the best plan might be to change the vocab a bit to "things that stink and things that rock."

Lunch, Networking, & Smackdown (which consists of a 2 minute shares per person of apps and websites you love! As you'll see from the schedule doc, there were 18 goodies shared today on a wealth of info.  My personal favorite for future investigation is the NPR Women in Tech series.

Session 3:  The flipped class for the elementary class

Session 4:  MakerSpaces & more

So, the price is right, the learning is good and goes beyond the 4 sessions, they usually feed you at lunchtime from gracious donors, you get to see old friends and meet new ones, AND there are door prizes.  That's a win from every which way!

If you haven't been to an EdCamp, you need to check out their master schedule and keep peeking back until you find one near you.  Then go and bask in the number of take-aways you can keep taking with you!


Logo from the EdCampMetroDC webpage:  Www.edcampmetrodc.org
"Keep Calm & Ed Camp On" from http://www.edcampphilly.org/
Screenshot of schedule from http://edcampmetrodc.org/about/schedule/
EdCamp:  Reclaim Professional development http://edcamp.org/2012/11/thank-you-edutopia-and-matt-arguello-for-helping-share-the-edcamp-love/

EdCamp B'More 2013

Emergency lights on my car dashboard didn't keep me away. (Luckily it was just tire pressure issues, which is easily remedied at a nearby gas station.)

Construction and the inability to find the building initially didn't keep me away. (Luckily, I could park, walk, and find good on-foot navigators on campus.)

Keep me away from what, you ask?

Why, EdCamp Baltimore!

I've proven to be a bit of an EdCamp addict here in the past.  It is an amazing kind of professional development that grows right around the participants who then turn leaders and fellow collaborators. 

It's been said if you walk away from a traditional workshop with one good idea to implement the next day, you are ahead of the game. EdCamps typically come with a higher rate of success and a greater degree of next-day implementation. And at a better fee:  free!

I squeaked into camp after my car and traffic troubles just in time for the first session--an intro to Twitter. Even being in the Twittersphere for a couple years now, growing and learning from my PLN (that's a "Personal Learning Network" for those who don't know the acronym), I still walked away with some new tidbits. I don't care what your field of expertise is--Twitter is an amazing place to connect from other like-minded individuals in your field.

My other 3 sessions also came with insights galore--from Google, to social media to boost your school's image, to experiential/inquiry based learning.  After yesterday, I can't wait to really spend some time investigating--here's just a few of the new finds:

--Google Apps for Education & the wonderful world of Chrome (wow--an area of wealth that this kid didn't know about, but a lot of other EdCampers sure did!)

--Newsela.com:  A website of news articles where you can adjust the readability online based on lexile levels. What a great way to differentiate--and follow up with a quiz for comprehension!!

--My last session was a combo deal session including the ideas of Makerspace, PBL, STEM [Science, Technology, Enginieering, and Math], STEAM [STEM with arts integration], experiential learning, and outdoor education.  This served as a great way to make a lot of connections between many sides of the similar active-oriented learning activities.  The Google Doc for that was chock-filled with resources!  (See session 4 for that link here.)

Truly, this is just a mere snippet and the tip of my #EdCampBmore experience. 

To learn more and experience a bit of the back-end of Edcamp Baltimore, be sure to check out the Schedule.  It is complete with links to Google Docs of notes per session.  Definitely worth the click-through!

Another great reference is the Smackdown link...where participants share a quick mention of a website or teaching tool of inspiration.

But perhaps the most important website to visit is the wiki of links to future EdCamps.  Odds are, there's one not far from you, coming up soon!  It's a great and inspirational way to spend a Saturday!

Pictures from:  Logo = http://www.edcampbmore.org/; EdCamp word cloud = http://edcampcolumbus.wordpress.com/ ; EdCamp/Traditional Conference comparison chart = https://edcamp.wikispaces.com/JEdcamp+SFBay

PadCamp 2013

It might be safe to say that I am an EdCamp Fanatic. Everything about these speaks to my inner edtech aficionado: a free, energizing, personal learning opportunity geared toward an educator getting the most of the experience, learning from your peers, and a high likelihood of being able to use something you learned the very next day.

This past August 8th's was the 3rd annual PadCamp in Galloway Township, NJ.  As per usual, it did not disappoint!  Especially since the last 2 years I just missed it for one reason or another--this year I was determined to make it happen for me--and it did!!  I made it to PadCamp.

Here is a ThingLink I created with a few clickable links to my favorite PadCamp hotspots using their logo.

Some of my other favorite take-aways:

The 11 am session with Brad Currie was great, and perhaps my favorite.  Brad is a Middle School Vice Principal/Supervision of Instruction for Chester, New Jersey's school district.  You can find him on Twitter (which he whole-heartedly promoted for professional development) at @bcurrie5.  He talked about what's on his iPad (see the PadCamp session notes here), and just talked a lot about this social media world we are in.  This interconnectedness through social media can broaden your role as a "lead learner" and help you have a true wealth of professional resources.  I'd say that's true, whatever your field of study and interest--it's not just an #edtech sort of thing!  I like too how he stressed that you didn't need to think you had to know everything in order to teach in a mobile device environment.  It's all about student engagement, and helping the kids to create and share.  I like too his philosophy that kids should be exposed to multiple types of devices as that only builds skills.  A multi-platform approach (rather than strictly an iModel) leads to higher capabilities.

Brad also introduced us all to "Digital Learning Day."  This year, it'll be on Feb 5, 2014.  Go forth and commit to using your mobile devices in school to learn that day!!  

Blogs in the #edtech field that Brad endorsed:

• Joe Mazza:  Lead Learner  (and his #ptchat to connect parents and teachers)
• Richard Byrne:  Free Technology for Teachers
• Monica Burns:  Class Tech Tips

Additionally, a great way to approach twitter is through one of the many teacher chats on Twitter--see Cybraryman's page for a comprehensive list of these!!

Another great session was in the 4th block, entitled "Let's Talk About Apps for Elementary Reading Comprehension, Analytical Reading, Problem Solving, etc."  The session notes ended up being very detailed, with lots of reading and math apps shared!

Definitely a day of a lot of sharing, good ideas, and great takeaways!  If you haven't checked out an EdCamp near you, you need to!  Every time I check their wikispaces calendar, there are always new ones added!!  And you always go home re-energized and with a slew of new ideas!


Images:  PadCamp pic using a screenshot of my iPhone apps and the app Motivational Poster,  PadCamp pic from http://www.padcamp.org/ logo, adapted with clickable buttons at Thinglink.com .  Digital Learning Day photo from https://community.lincs.ed.gov/event/digital-learning-day-0

A Radical Explosion of PBS Resources!

The last month was brought to me by the Letters P & D: Professional Development! I began February at the MAEOE Conference in Ocean City, MD where 600+ Maryland environmental and outdoor educators gathered to engage in eco-ed!  This past Friday I was at the NAIS in Philadelphia, PA with about 5000 independent school educators and administrators with a team from my school at the National Association of Independent Schools.  

(If only I could have worked it out to go to EdCampIS this past Saturday with my Head of School for the "Independent School EdCamp" Experience, as I feel EdCamps are one of THE most amazing and dynamic types of professional development...but I digress.)
Conferences and professional development are so energizing for teachers.  Yes, the sub planning leaves a little bit to be desired (as teachers, we know it always takes sooo long to write up the plans for when you are going to be absent--much more time than just getting the lessons together in the first place).  But, to be in a fresh environment and network with other instructors and school leaders, and get exposed to the amazing things that are capable within a classroom....so enriching!

The 76 page NAIS booklet for the 3 day conference definitely gave you a lot to choose from, even if you were only there for a day, like me.  One of my favorite sessions was about a household name that we all know and probably love:  PBS.
 

What I didn't know was the wealth that lived over at PBS.  We're not just talking Sesame Street or even Downton Abbey, folks.  There is soo much more there.  Here were some of the amazing finds I discovered in my 1 hour PBS session:


PBS Kids Website has been rated one of the 50 best websites in Time Magazine.  To build your readers, check out PBS Kids/Read!

PBS Teacherline has online, facilitated professional development.

PBS Kids Island is a great place to go for online reading games for beginning readers.

PBS Mobile has approximately 30 apps for tablets.

PBS Parents is a great online resource for parents.

PBS Kids Lab has a large array of educational games--many of which are interactive whiteboard-ready!

PBS Ready to Learn starts with a curricular framework with a transmedia approach (rather than stand-alone interactives)

PBS Learning Media is a treasure trove, plain and simple!  Over 20,000 classroom-ready resources are right there waiting for you to build your lessons and make them blossom.  With partners like NASA and the Library of Congress, the wealth is evident! Search by keyword, grade level, curricular strand, or even by standards. It is a free login, and you can customize it for you by allowing you to add resources to your favorites, building classes and thematic units as you go!  Over 850,000 educators have already registered to use PBS Learning Media!

Here's just a few little eco-favorites I've found already with just the briefest of searches over at PBS Learning Media!

Trash on the Spin Cycle:  

A look at The Great Pacific Garbage Patch with Jacques Cousteau

Documenting Glacial Change:

A look at ice melting from 1941 to present

GPS: Garbagology

Endangered Species

This is definitely a bookmark-worthy site!

To learn more about NAIS, be sure to check out some of their official attendee-bloggers.  Between NAIS and PBS, you might find yourself a little lost for days, surfing the net for so many goodies!!


Photos & videos from....PBS Pioneers video: http://youtu.be/FziODF2dIAc,  PBS Kids from http://pbskids.org/

A Cornucopia Called EdCamp

Thanksgiving is just a few short days away.  It's usually at about this time in the school year that I wonder how the heck it has happened that we are already here?!

When I look back, especially over the last 6 weeks alone, I see my own autumnal path to here--and it was by way of EdCamps. A virtual cornucopia of EdTech, iPads, PLN's (Personal Learning Networks) galore and more.

I've written about EdCamps before, and I'm a self-proclaimed EdCamp fiend.  In this season of gratitude and taking time to celebrate those things I'm thankful for, EdCamps certainly are up there on my list--certainly after family and friends, but right alongside personal job satisfaction.  How can an amazing and FREE professional development opportunity where you can learn from your regional colleagues/educators NOT be in there!?!

Here is a great video that describes the essence of EdCamp:


Between my time at EdCamp Baltimore (Sat., Nov. 10th), EdCamp Harrisburg (Sat., Oct 20), & before that on Sat., Oct. 6th at EdCamp Hagerstown], I have harvested a bounty of professional development.  I most certainly got a cornucopia of EdTech treasures by way of websites, iPad lesson activities, new apps to investigate, and great ideas I could use in class each of the following Monday mornings. 

The level of sharing, both in and out of sessions, on Twitter, their websites, and beyond make it possible to let the learning continue...even if you weren't there.  Along those lines, one of the neatest sessions I went to was when Jeff Bradbury from TeacherCast led a panel of EdCamp pros in a panel discussion concurrently (by way of livestreaming and Google hangouts) with a panel from EdCamp Minneapolis St. Paul.  Pretty darn cool to be crossing time zones with tech, and be in two places at once!

Here are some places to go to learn some of the cool things I learned along the way in my autumnal trek of Maryland and Pennsylvania EdCamps...

• EdCamp Baltimore's "Smackdown" (where you get 1 minute to share a resource--a lot of resources add up in a very short time!!)
• EdCamp Baltimore;s Storify (a collection of all the tweets from everyone that day, complete with links, ideas they loved, pics and tons of other gems)
• EdCamp Harrisburg's "Smackdown"
• EdCamp Harrisburg highlight posts of the day (including their Twitter roll which has many of the same types of comments and resources of Baltimore's Storify)
• EdCamp Hagerstown's Storify
• My GTG post about EdCamp Hagerstown (including a link to their extensive Google doc of resources from the day)

For more EdCamps on the horizon, check out:

• EdCamp NJ ~ Sat., Dec. 1st
• Upcoming EdCamps ~ Check out the Wiki of dates & places--you can go here to also get links to all of the past EdCamps (including the more than 30 EdCamps just this past fall). Each link takes you to the individual webpages and listed resources from each of their own their full days!

Here in this season of crispnes and color, may your Thanksgiving be bountiful--full of blessings, love, peace, harmony.

Annnnnndddd... if you're truly lucky, may there be an EdCamp nearby, sometime soon, to mark on your calendar!  ☺


Cornucopia photo from http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/06/what-do-you-think-of-apples-announcements/, EdCamp video from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQyceeXzuPM, Edcamp logos from each of their home webpages; Thanksgiving iPhone screensaver from https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/thanksgiving-wallpapers-for/id565858947?mt=8

EdCamp 4: Goodies Galore!

Ahhh!  Another delightful day spent yesterday, hanging out with like-minded, tech-minded educators at EdCamp Hagerstown.  This trip marks my 4th EdCamp.  When I look back at my past EdCamp history, it hits me that my very first one was approximately this same time last fall.  It also marks the 150th EdCamp since it's start in May 2010. Additionally, it marks the start of a pretty progressive EdCamp season for me.  EdCamp Harrisburg and EdCamp Baltimore are just around the corner in these next weeks ahead--marked in big letters on my calendar. 

Yes, it's safe to say, I might be a tad addicted.

One would argue perhaps you'd HAVE to be--sacrificing a Saturday (and weather-wise, a beautiful one at that!).  Add in a 1.5 hour drive.  But the time goes quickly when you bring along an "EdCamp Newbie" to her first EdCamp. Additionally, her enthusiasm brought about some bravery for me as we both facilitated a session (a first for me!).  We talked about our experience of iPad implementation--which was a great follow up to the iPad session we attended right before it. What a great way to let the conversation continue!! 

Once again, the wealth gained at EdCamp was enormous!  There's no place I would have rather been that soaking in the knowledge, networking, and news from other educators who want to bring EdTech, iPads, energy, and more into their classrooms.  As always, you walk away with so much!! You can't help it with the EdCamp philosophy of "The Rule of 2 Feet" (where you are urged to be on the move, to get yourself to the room that will do you the greatest amount of good based on what your interests are.)

The Hagerstown EdCamp Team started us out with this video, which served as an excellent framework to start of the day:

I framed my day largely around iPads, and got a chance to talk a lot with the other amazing educators who were also living along in iPadLandia!  Ideas and apps are now swimming around in my head. Kudos & congrats to the planning team for creating such a wonderful #edtech experience!!

To share the wealth, the EdCamp Hagerstown crew created the following Google Docs of Session Notes where they compiled all the goodies from all the sessions of the day.  Talk about comprehensive!!  Another great way to learn of the goodies galore is to check out the  #edcamphagerstown hashtag on Twitter.

Needless to say...if you haven't ever been to an EdCamp, you don't know what you are missing!!  You need to solve that problem--because it IS a problem!!  To find one near you, check out the EdCamp Wiki site, search the map, mark your calendar, and make your way to a great #EdTech day!! 


EdCamp Logo from http://edcamphagerstown.wordpress.com/ and the "A Serious Talk" video from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0pZE8WW_Ro .

EdCamp Philly 2012: Oodles of Apps & Super Sites

As I wrote about in my last post:  EdCamp Philily 2012: Oohs & Ahhs, there's definitely oodles and more from EdCamp Philly.  More than any one post could hold!  So, given that, here's the Part Deux.  Here's where you find my list of of Personal Fav's--new finds all revealed to me at EdCamp Philly this past weekend.  (Well, most of them are new.  I peppered in a couple of my pre-known loves!)  These are the ones I can't wait to check out due to their high educator-based ratings from EdCampers:

Awesome Apps (both free & at cost)

Writing/Creativity:
Book Creator
ScribblePress
Puppet Pals
Strip Design
iMovie
Popplet
ToonTastic
Story Patch
My Story
Noteability (easy enough for a 1st grader to use)
Art:
Drawing Pad: Best art for early elementary
Art Rage: Like "Drawing Pad" for the 4th grade and up set
Crayola LCC

Screen Casting:
Doodle Cast: Screen casting tool
Explain Everything: Screen casting tool for older kids
Sound Cloud

Photos:
Photo Synth 360: Make panaramic virtual tours
Tour Wrist: Go on virtual tours picked from a map

Social Studies/Science:
Encyclopedia Britanica Kids
Science 360

Must-See Websites

Cybraryman:  The Treasure Trove of all things Education!!

Change By Us:  A way to share projects to help communities

Jellycam.co.ukJelly Cam:  Stop annimation

Pre-Made Tech Rubrics  

Smore:  Creative flyer maker

Incredibox:  Beatbox music creator

360 Cities:  360 degree virtual cities of all sorts of places!!

This Is Sand:  Creative art pics made with colored "sand"

Pine Glen LTC:  So many great examples of what one school can do!

Apps 4 Ed:  Similar to Appetic where you can get feedback on educational
apps, but this one is more community driven.  The creator was the one who presented it himself!!


These are just the ones I can't wait to see.  But this is literally just the tip of the iceberg.  For more, go to the EdCamp Philly Resources Wikispaces page and go have fun.  Not to mention, look into an EdCamp near you!!


Logo from http://www.edcampphilly.org/

EdCamp Philly 2012: Oohs & Ahhs

[Disclaimer:  This is more "EdTech" than "Eco" 

(which happens from time to time)--but equally awesome!]

Philadelphia is the birthplace of some of the greatest of American history... likewise, it was the birthplace of the first EdCamp ever, 2 years ago--nearly to the date!  How fitting that this past Saturday (5-19-2012) was starting a new "century" of EdCamps--kind of neat to be at the 101st EdCamp, back home where they all started.  Way to go, EdCamp Philly!!

As Dan Callahan (one of the originators of the original EdCamp Philly 2010) admitted in his part of Saturday's Welcome, he's a verified "EdCamp Addict."  I can see how it happens, as this weekend was my third in the past 6 months, having attended EdCamp DC in January and EdCamp Harrisburg this past November.

What is EdCamp, you ask?  You can get a brief synopsis on either of my 2 EdCamp blog posts linked above, or check out one of the following original sources:  the EdCamp Home Wiki, EdCamp Foundation, or this YouTube video.  In short, it's a day where educators (who just can't stop learning) come together (for free!) to an "unconference."  Once there, the schedule builds up around them, based on what the attendees are interested in sharing, and interested in learning.  On this past Saturday, EdCamp Philly had four one-hour-long sessions, and a "Smackdown" of people sharing "1 minute blips" about favorite websites. This made for 30-45 minutes of amazing new finds!

EdCamp Philly's links of info-galore were stockpiled at this Wikispaces!  Tons, tons, tons of good stuff here from all of the sessions.  Did I say tons?  Also be sure to check out Kristen Swanson's Smackdown Scoop.It Page of the possibly 3 dozen websites that were shared during the Smackdown.


My Highlights & Take-Aways:

a). If you aren't on Twitter, you should be!  It's a great resource of brilliance and collective knowledge.  Whatever your field, follow people in it.  Find colleagues. Use it in a totally different way than you use Facebook.  Don't post the trivial, but post the important.  Build your own Personal Learning Network [PLN].  Do it!  You'll become newly refreshed in your field!!

b).  Speaking of PLNs, I got to meet some of my favorite "tweet peeps" I follow.  Finally, a face to face, complete with the real person and personality, to match up with the twitter handles I've come to look for.  I had lunch with some of the great people who are planning EdCamp New Jersey (Dec. 1, 2012), including special guest appearance from Teacher Cast's Jeff Bradbury.

c).  Skype can be an amazing classroom resource.  Bill Krakower ran the session where he ended up skyping in with Cybraryman Jerry Blumengarten and Paula Naugle.  They Skyped in to talk (not surprisingly) about the ways to use Skype. Here's their document of a slew of ideas.  The Mystery Skype idea was a particular favorite of mine.

d).  The iPad is a tool...like a pencil, a dictionary, or a ruler.  Yes, a motivating tool (very much so), but a tool.  Your creativity as an educator determines what you do with it.  It's much much more than just the Internet or a set of digital flash cards.  So ask yourself:  what am I going to do with it?  If you don't know, learn.  Experiment.  Branch out.  Be the risk taker you encourage your students to be.

e).  As Diane Marcus commented in the "We Love iPads" session that she presented with Dan Callahan (fellow teacher at Pine Glen Elementary in Burlington, MA):  "As an adult in 2012, how many dioramas do you make in real life? So why is that the best way for students to share their information?"  Her point:  in a digital world, where the expectation down the line will be for digital presentations, perhaps the time to start using those tools is now!  Use the technology only after the written scripts are done first to help create a smooth product.

Clearly, EdCamp Philly left me with a lot on my mind.  I have a whole list of "Personal Fav's," both iPad apps and websites, but I'm thinking that's going to have to make its way to another post, a "Part Deux!"  As you can imagine, there are oodles and bunches!  So stay tuned!!


Images from:
EdCamp Philly logo from http://www.edcampphilly.org/, EdCamp graph from http://edcampfoundation.org/, EdCamp Philly 2012 schedule = screenshot from my camera of the Google Doc the EdCamp Philly folks created to show the day's events; Pic of me (winning a door prize) taken by Kevin Jarrett, found on the EdCamp Philly Flickr page:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/kjarrett/7230521676/in/pool-1331568@N23/; Tweet Pic from Pine Glen Room 209's Diane Marcus of Bill Krawkower's Skype session. This was a photo taken from a screenshot of her tweet from my phone.

Livin' Life in the Dojo

As I've mentioned before, as the year progresses, I'm trying out more and more finds in the edtech world.  At the DC EdCamp I attended in January, one discovery was Class Dojo.  Class Dojo is an online behavior management tool that's pretty darn cool.  My class loves it, and they are eager to earn "delights" and steer clear of any "dings."

As I was in the early stages of trying it out, I was in need of some tech assistance.  Email conversations led to some Skyping with one of the three head Class Dojo-ians.  Next thing you know, I was invited to be a guest blogger--you just never know where Skype may take you. 

That blog post posted on Monday!

To check out my "thumbs up" review of Class Dojo, check out my "Class Dojo Delights and Dings" post over on the Class Dojo blog site. 

To catch a sneak preview of how it starts, read on!




Class Dojo logo & pics from http://blog.classdojo.com/ (The Positive and Negative behaviors are the ones I have designed and am using in my class). Class Dojo Acrostic written by me and posted on the Class Dojo Website.

Whether Sleet or Snow... To EdCampDC We Go!

You know you've been at EdCamp all day when...

A). Your day is full, your mind is swirling, and your teacher mind is charged;
B).  You have a lot of ideas you can easily put into practice--as soon as Monday;    
C).  You have spent the day with a lot of like-minded individuals who serve as total inspiration & motivation;
D). You find yourself in bed and asleep by 9 pm because you are wiped out due to operation overload (but in a good way!);
E).  All of the above.

If you answered "E," then you've hit the nail on the head!

As for me and "E," this past Saturday I ventured out with a colleague to my 2nd (and her 1st) EdCamp:  EdCampDC. Just like the US Postal Office Creed:  "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds...."  We trekked the hour or so southwest to DC despite the icy, slushy world around us.  Just like "the show," EdCampDC "must go on!"  Weather did hit the numbers, taking the anticipated 250 down by half or more; but for those of us that were there, the information du jour kept our creative juices flowing!!

  

To learn more about EdCamp in general, you can take a peek at my experience at EdCampHarrisburg or go to the EdCamp Wiki (where you can see a global calendar of all upcoming Edcamps) or the EdCamp Foundation. 

Kudos and special thanks to EdCampDC organizers Matt McCrea, Andrew Pratt, and Selena Ward.  It was a great, great day!

Here are some of the great finds I found along the way during the course of my EdCampDC Day (in addition to an amazing final session all about rewarding motivated teachers--great food for thought!):

1.  Metryx

An education assessment start-up that is due to start-up any time, this will transform your in-class, clipboard-style assessment with just a few clicks on your mobile tablet device.  By help teachers to assess students and then helping them to use that data for differentiation within the classroom, this could potentially transform  not only your teaching but the way in which you assess your students' progress in the classroom.

2. Evernote

If you're like me, you know that Evernote is a file-cabinet-style tool for you to access all your finds online (whether by tablet, phone, or computer).  But at EdCampDC, we talked a lot about the ways in which notebooks in Evernote could become great places for quick anecdotal recording of your students' behavior and academic progress.
 

3.  Class Dojo Behavior Plan

An online way to both improve student behavior as well as motivating students with "live" feedback.  Class Dojo allows you to program li'l avatars, make behavior reports based on specific in-class behaviors that you design.

4.  Educreation App:  Interactive WhiteboardIf you like Khan Academy, you'll love this with it's ability to make and record similar videos yourself....OR have kids use to create a short illlustrated video where they explain/define something.

5.  Other Good Interactive Whiteboard iPad Apps:
ScreenChomp, Skitch, Splashtop, and BoardCam

6.  National Teachers Alliance
A non-partisan network for classroom teachers, the National Teachers Alliance is out to communicate what is working in the field of education through resources, reviews, and really good stuff!

And no, not from EdCamp, but equally yummy finds this weekend, and equally EdCamp-appropriate for getting the mind in gear with edtech, apps, iPads, and more!!

7.  APPitic - 1,300+ EDUapps
Here you'll find a directory of educational apps from Apple Distinguished Educators (ADEs).  They have been tested across grade levels and are organized in classroom-helpful ways!

8.  95 EdTech Resources You May Have Missed–Treasure Chest January 22, 2012: Tech the Plunge Every Sunday the Treasure Chest is posted--wow!  A Treasure Trove indeed!!

9.  Twitter for Teachers from Kathy Schrock's Webinar
Last week I did a Kathy Schrock eGenio webinar--wow!  What a powerhouse she is.  Great tips for teachers on how to build your own Personal Learning Network (PLN) through Twitter!  Love it!


All EdCamp images from http://www.edcampdc.org/ .