"Insert Learning" - Make the Internet More Powerful

If you are interested in making internet articles more powerful and more efficient, look no further than "Insert Learning." This tool is a Chrome extension that allows you to customize online articles you find for your students.  With this tool, you can highlight text, insert sticky notes, add questions and add discussion right within the article itself. Then, after you have created what you want, can assign it to your class via Google Classroom, making it a very smooth process. The free version is limited to five "assignments" but check it out and perhaps this is something you would want to have your school buy for you.

Here is an example: https://insertlearning.com/v1/share/32uidqf1 (Add the Insert Learning chrome extension and check out the example).

Glow Kids: Screen addiction

"That’s right — your kid’s brain on Minecraft looks like a brain on drugs." -Article in the New York Post

I came across an interesting article the other day about kids and screen addiction. The quote above is chilling. Think about that quote which is based on research and is fact. A child's brain who is addicted to screens looks the same as someone is who is addicted to cocaine or heroin. That should make you stop and think. That should make you stop and think that maybe you should limit the screen time for your kids. I know I need to. I can also relate. I can feel the tug of the screen, even when I have no reason to go on it. I see myself grabbing for my phone, just to check it, knowing there's no new messages or notifications. But there's that pull. That pull in your brain that is making you do it, even when you don't want to or have no reason for it. It's an addiction. I don't feel as if I have a full blow addiction to screens, nor do I think my brain looks like a crack addict, but I can definitely see how it can happen. With unsupervised children "cranking" out the hours, becoming addicted is real. (Pun intended). As the article states, breaking an addiction to drugs and alcohol requires you to get rid of all that stuff. How do you break a technology addiction? How can you go 4-6 weeks without using or looking at any type of screen? I would say it's close to impossible unless a major life change happens (quit job, move to the mountains, crawl under a rock, etc.) Prevent your child (and self) from becoming a Glow kid, who you begin to think their face actually does have a blue glow to you because the only time you see their face, it's with a screen 5 inches away.

Read Article Here

So Long Owner's Manual!

I recently had a problem. The drain to my sink broke. Though I installed the sink to begin with, it had been a while so I had forgotten exactly how to do it. So, I found a tutorial on Youtube. Three minutes and thirty-five seconds later, I knew how to install a new drain. I had another problem. My dryer was not drying clothes properly. It would either run through the sensor dry cycle and still have wet clothes, or it would quit a few minutes after I started the cycle, thinking the clothes were dry (they were not). Manual dry worked and dried the clothes, but whenever I used the sensor setting, it didn't dry, so I figured that was the problem. So I called Sears (where I bought the dryer five years ago). Sears said they could send out a guy to look at it. It would cost $80, plus whatever he had to do to fix the problem (parts + labor). Or, as the polite phone operator informed me, I could pay $400 to get all my appliances covered for the next year. So I did some thinking and decided that both options seemed rather pricey and that there had to be a better way. A cheaper way. So, I checked YouTube. I had a pretty good idea the sensor setting was the problem so I "youtubed" Samsung sensor problems. Sure enough, I found a video showing how to replace the sensor bars. Piece of cake. I then looked up online how much sensor bars cost. $1.50 per sensor bars. Perfect. I ordered the sensor bars and eventually fixed the problem. All it cost me was $3 and 4 minutes of time watching YouTube. I was driving down the road and I had another problem. I wanted to customize the control panel on my dashboard. Did I pull out the thick owner's manual, locate the correct 'chapter' and figure it out? Nope. I went straight to Youtube and found what I needed. 

In our world, technology and in these examples YouTube specifically, creates a more efficient way of doing things. It saves time and money. If you have a problem or want to know how to do something, sifting through a big owner's manual or waiting for someone to show you in person is a thing of the past. You have a gazillion tutorials at your fingertips on YouTube, just waiting to be watched. Just waiting to teach you how to do something or help solve a problem. 

We want our students to have this mindset and equip them with the skills and knowledge to know HOW to find the best way to solve a problem. YouTube creates active problem solvers. They have a problem-they seek out the solution via Youtube-and problem solved. New thing learned. They do not just sit back and wait for someone to show them how or just give up because it's "too hard." 

Feel free to leave a comment on this blog post of how YouTube has helped you solve a problem. If you do not know how to leave a comment on blog posts, then look up a tutorial on Youtube! :) 

Get more out of YouTube Videos

YouTube is an immense collection of videos, we know that. We also know that YouTube is a wonderland for educators to find quality, interesting videos to help teach a concept or illustrate a topic. But, what we may not know is EDpuzzle. Edpuzzle is a tool that lets us get more out of youtube videos. It beefs them up, it gives us options, it gives us the ability customize the video viewing experience. Instead of simply watching the video, or watching the video and answering questions, Edpuzzle allows you to orchestrate a dynamic viewing experience. Free of charge, Edpuzzle allows you to set up a class with a "class code" so your students can join with their Google account. With your students joined in, you can assign videos for them to complete--whether for reinforcement, learning, review, etc. 

As mentioned, Edpuzzle allows you to create a more dynamic viewing experience. It helps you get more out of the video. Here's the deal: Get a Youtube video that you want to show. "Upload" it into Edpuzzle and from there, you can choose what the students do while watching. You can ask them MC questions, open ended questions, or have them comment. You can add a "voice track" which is a audio recording of yourself explaining the video the student is watching. You can also trim the clip to focus on just the part you want.
You assign these to your class so you can see how your students did on the questions, comments, etc. so it is a quality formative assessment piece. You can also share it with the world with the link, though you do not get individual results unless they are part of your Edpuzzle class.
Not only can  you use YouTube videos, but you can search for other videos from Khan Academy, TED, Vimeo, National Geographic, and many more. You can search these other video sites from within Edpuzzle.
Check it out! I think it could be a great piece to add to your classroom puzzle.

Shared at Sharapalooza

In case you missed it or forgot to write down what was shared, here it is!

Plickers.com (web and apple/android app. Free)

Get instant feedback from all your students without needing devices.

Flippity.net

Use Google Drive to create game-show type review games

Cel.ly

Create a social network that you and your students can use to communicate and share

Too Noisy Pro (ipad app. $2.99)

Noise detector. Great for classroom management. Screen “breaks” when the noise volume gets too high. Students/classes can earn “gold stars” for prolonged times of being quiet.

Purposegames.com

Create identification games. Upload a picture and set the points of identification.

Technology Provides Efficiency, Opportunity

This morning I was thinking about the day's topic of Otzi the Iceman in my social studies class. I had everything prepared, everything set to go. However, this morning, I stumbled upon some interesting articles, some new findings about Otzi, and a website that breaks things down for kids. These three resources I felt would be very interesting for kids to read, think about, and discuss. They shed some new light on the topic of Otzi, in particular, our topic of the day which is his mysterious death and tattoos. Unfortunately, I am relegated to telling my students about the new information instead of having them sift through it themselves and make their own discoveries. This puts the teacher in the center of the learning circle, instead of what should be in the middle: the student. Sometimes in teaching, you find something that you think is good and want to use it right away. Technology, specifically having consistent access, provides students with more opportunities to learn and discover. It is a more efficient way of doing things. With tools like Symbaloo, Google Drive, and Gibbon, I could easily post the articles and have students access them immediately, at their own pace. We could talk about what they found, what they think and what it all means. I posted them to my website in hopes they explore the resources further at home.  

Make a cartoon with Custom dialogue with Go!Animate

Secrets at the Copy Machine by Dan Klumper on GoAnimate
Time to get back to some Tech tools. Create short, comical dialogue between cartoon characters is a good way to emphasize a key point or topic. With Go!Animate, you can quickly and easily create dialogue between characters. You can sign up for a free account with your Google account and begin creating in seconds. Follow the steps, choose settings, characters, and insert dialogue and boom, your comic is ready. You can share your Go!Animate comics on your website by embedding it(like I have done) or by providing a link. Create a funny comic about the end of the year, your current topic, or make one of yourself to share. Once we get 1:1 in our district, these would be great projects for students to add to their online portfolio.

Google Glass

Check out this video about one of Google's new, cutting edge products: "Google Glass." This is unbelievable technology. Currently, Google is not taking anymore applications to get a pair of google glasses. However, like all things, eventually they will become available and affordable. How cool would it be to have these? As the video shows, you can simply say "take a picture" and your glasses take a picture, or a video, or translate something into a different language. They are like a GPS, except you don't have to look away at a screen, instead the directions pop up right in front of your eyes. Google anything in seconds to find information, location, answers, etc. Google Glass also allows you to share what you are seeing LIVE. Google Glass will give people the ability to see and share things from a perspective, up until now, was impossible. Since these glasses are worn, your hands are always free to continue doing what you need to do. Google Glass will not come to schools for a long time, however, gradually, google glass will be able to provide students with interesting videos. With Google Glass, students will be able to go on "virtual field trips" as they watch the person with the glasses on walk the Great Wall of China, explore the Pyramids, climb Mt. Everest, or walk the Mayan ruins. Technology is advancing so quickly, it is fun to see what's next. 

 Click Here to learn more about Google Glass

Text2MindMap.com: Idea Mapping tool

Text2MindMap.com is an idea mapping/idea web tool that you can use, save, and share without creating an account. Simply go to the link and start building your idea/concept map. I have posted other idea mapping tools before, but I like this one because it doesn't require the students to create an account. They can simply show up and start working. After completing the project, you or your students can download the final product as an image or a PDF. You can also save your project to continue working on it in the future. When you click save, it will give you a unique URL to your project that allows you to return to work. These features, along with customization tools, makes this a web 2.0 tool worth using. 
Applications for Education: Have your students make an idea map about anything! Use it as a learning tool, a review tool, or a brainstorming tool. I have used them in the past for all of those things and I like the results. This would be a great tool to use in a reading class: Main idea in the middle, with supporting details shooting out from there. In any of the social studies classes, simply choose a topic (ancient Rome, gladiators, civil war battles, people of the American Revolution, etc.) and start mapping them out. Great way for kids to create a visual of information to learn or review. Or, use it yourself to help plan out a project or unit. 

Infographic: Why Teachers Love Technology

Allison Morris from OnlineUniversities.com sent me this infographic to review so I thought I would share it with you. It's interesting to look at the various aspects of teachers and technology. One thing that can never be lost in the technology in education discussion is the need for support and training. Districts can not just hand teachers a bunch of devices and say, here you! Start using technology! There's got to be a support system and support people ready to help them use it effectively and in a way that ENHANCES their teaching.
Please Include Attribution to OnlineUniversities.com With This Graphic

Bring maps to life with Animaps

Animaps is a website that allows you to make animated, interactive maps. This is NOT just a geography tool, it can be used in any content area. With animaps, you design your route/path and can show points of interest along the way. Animaps uses google maps, so you are able to use real streets, towns, countries, etc.  It is a great tool for showing a path or route and what happens along the way. I used it to show my students the Silk Road path and things that happen along the way. It would be a cool tool to use to show a character's journey in a book or the spread of a disease. Animaps does take some time to figure out how to use it and make your product, but it is worth the time. Let me know if you would like me to show you how to use it. Once you get the hang of it, it is a lot of fun.

Common Core and Social Studies

View Interactive Common Core-Social Studies Tech Tools

7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers who use Technology

Today I thought I would provide you with a list of 7 habits of highly effective teachers who use technology. If you are viewing this in your email only, you will have to click on the post to see the image or click the link. Becoming a highly effective teacher with technology is not something that happens over night. It is a process, perhaps a process that never even ends as there are always things out there to learn, try, discover. I by no means consider myself a expert when it comes to technology in education, but simply someone who is open-minded to trying new things, discovering new tools, and willing to change/improve what I do. I did not come up with the list, but I think it is accurate.  Click here for a larger version of the list.