Technology & Learning in District #205

Mt. Vernon Virtual Field Trip–Learn 360

2012-03-01T08:02:00.001-06:00

Here’s a link to a great video field trip to George & Martha Washington’s home at Mt. Vernon for grades 4-8. The video is presented by Alabama Public Television and is hosted by Learn360. Teaching Resources are found here, and you can learn even more here.

Please note: The video will only be available online through the end of May, 2012.

Strait of Hormuz, Explained

2012-02-23T07:44:00.001-06:00

Gas prices are on the rise, and your students may want to know why. Here’s a great, plain-English explanation to help satisfy students’ curiosity, from Just Explain It, on Yahoo’s Daily Ticker:

Six Guidelines for Safe Use of Online Resources

2012-02-15T09:22:00.001-06:00

As teachers and students incorporate online resources and new technologies into daily classroom activities more frequently, it is important to be aware of some laws and policies designed to keep kids safe online.

1. Always protect student information from appearing on public web sites or blogs.

Two federal laws, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) require that most students’ personal information be kept private at all times. COPPA states that it is unlawful to collect or display any information that would identify or locate a child (ages 13 and under) without parental consent. CIPA applies to every computer user in our schools and restricts “unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors. [under age 18]” Personal information includes, but is not limited to, first and last names, addresses, telephone numbers, likes/dislikes or other personal preferences, or any other information that could be used to identify and/or locate an individual student. Always check with the office staff in your building before publishing or posting student images on the Web, but avoid listing names, etc., with those images.

Never identify a child in anything that is visible online.

2. Always moderate your blogs, websites, videos, etc.

Once again, CIPA and COPPA apply here. If you create a blog, wiki, or personal network for students in class and expect them to contribute to it, or create or subscribe to podcasts or video clips that you share with students, make sure you turn the moderation features on. This will require that you approve all comments, edits, and content before they appear publicly to a world-wide audience. If you have a blog, a wiki, a personal network, a web site, or a podcast, you are responsible for all the content and all the comments posted on it. You are also responsible to remove any comments or content that might identify students’ personal information (see above). Many sites now have ways to turn off all commenting features – find out what they are and utilize them, or ask your building or District technology coordinator (Hi… My name’s Matt…) for ideas.

Always turn moderation features on, and always read through all comments and preview all content before posting.

3. Always offer a paper/pencil alternative to technology-driven assignments.

Not every child has access to technology resources at home, and sometimes your classroom’s or school’s computer resources may not be available to students for a variety of reasons. Therefore, students should always have an alternative way to participate in an assignment or class activity that is not dependent on technology. If you want kids to participate in blog posting, allow them to submit ideas on paper as well. If you want kids to do research, encyclopedias and books often contain much more reliable information than some online “wiki-based encyclopedia-type” resources, and so on. Also, make sure that the paper/pencil option is worth exactly the same credit toward a student’s grade as the electronic option.

Never penalize a student for not having a computer or Internet access at home.

4. Always use your school email for communications with students.

According to the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), “Schools ... are required to adopt and enforce a policy to monitor online activities of minors” (below age 18). We cannot monitor what we do not provide. Always conduct any electronic communication with students using your District email account. School districts are required by law to keep an archive of all electronic records involving communication with students. This is an effort to protect students, teachers, and school districts from potential liability issues should the student end up in trouble or endangered through use of an email account. Yahoo!Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, and the hundreds of other free online email services do not allow school districts to quickly obtain an archive of electronic communications. Using third-party email services exposes all parties involved to potential legal risk. Therefore, our District’s current policy is, and has always been, to neither provide nor encourage student email accounts for classroom use. We currently have services like Moodle, Learn360, and other avenues to assist you with electronic communications – safely – and we are working to expand these opportunities for you. But for now, to avoid exposing yourself and your kids to these risks, avoid requiring the use of free email accounts with students, and always use your District email for any student-related communications.

5. Discuss your online instructional activities with your school administrator.

It is always a good idea to make your building administrator aware of your intention to use the technologies mentioned above, and discuss potential ramifications with them before you incorporate these resources in your classroom activities. Even if you follow all the above procedures and take every precaution you can think of, something might happen that you can’t foresee. Always provide your administrator the URL (or “web address”) of your classroom website, wiki, blog, etc. They make administrators sit through all those school law classes for a reason, y’know!

6. While it may sometimes be easier to gain forgiveness than permission, it is always easier to gain permission than bail!

(Thanks, Mom & Dad, for THAT pearl of wisdom during my formative years!)

The only questions building administrators, District administrators, Technology Department Staff, or even your wandering tech coordinator can’t help you with are the questions you don’t ask. No one wants to see you or your students get into unpleasant situations. There are lots of options that we can help you with that may not be out there among the popular culture but will accomplish the same goal as more commonly-known sites.

Please let us help you find solutions before they become problems!

For more information about laws governing student privacy while online, please visit:

Federal Communications Commission on the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA): http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cipa.html
Federal Trade Commission on the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA): http://www.coppa.org/
OR download their Power Point presentation at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/coppa/COPPARoundtableSlides.ppt

One in 4 Teens Cyberbullied, British report

2012-02-08T09:49:00.001-06:00

According to this article, a recent British study reports that 28% of students aged 11-16 have been victim of bullying through the Internet or mobile phones. Harassing text messages was the largest avenue of bullying at 13%, while around 10% reported bullying from social networking sites (services like Facebook, YouTube, instant messaging, etc.)

How does cyberbullying affect kids?

Like any form of bullying, cyber harassment can have lasting effects of students, the study says. One out of every 5 students in the study reported they were reluctant to go to school because of it. Eleven percent said cyberbullying had caused them to become depressed, and 3% had even attempted suicide over it. Six percent reported that ‘sexting,’ receiving sexually explicit messages or images, had made them feel uncomfortable.

How does cyberbullying affect teachers?

Ten percent of teachers participating in the study also reported cyber-harassment, with 15% feeling afraid for their own or their family’s safety. Their research also shows that teachers average around 6 hours/week dealing with cyberbullying, equating to an annual estimated cost to taxpayers the equivalent of $28.5 million (British Sterling Pounds converted to US dollars).

How did British teachers handle it?

The most effective means of dealing with bullies was to report the sender to or block the sender from the communication service. Just ignoring the messages only worked about half the time, according to the study.

How should we handle it?

The most widely accepted strategy for dealing with cyberbullies is STOP, BLOCK, and TELL. Here’s how to explain the strategy to your kids:

STOP: Do not respond the the bully’s remarks or messages. Bullying is all about controlling how others feel and behave. Striking back at them shows that they are able to manipulate your emotions and control your behavior. When you react, the bully wins.
BLOCK: A person who bullies you is not your friend. Most social networking sites and instant messaging services have features that let you block others from becoming your “friend,” or to “un-friend” people you are connected with. YouTube offers users the option to turn off the commenting and rating features associated with videos you post. Most cellular service providers, Internet service providers, and email hosts have ways to block certain persons from sending messages to you. Learn how to use these features, and put them into action if you feel harassed or uncomfortable.
TELL: “Telling” and “Tattling” happen for very different reasons: “Tattletales” are trying to get someone else in trouble. Most teachers understand and can identify this behavior quickly. However, those who “tell” are trying to protect themselves or someone else from getting hurt or getting into trouble. Teach children the difference, and encourage children to report bullying of any kind to a parent, a teacher, or another trusted adult. Help children learn how to report cyberbullies through the social networking site, Internet service provider, cellular service provider, etc.,

What if that doesn’t work?

If STOP, BLOCK, and TELL doesn’t work, it may be appropriate to get local law enforcement involved. In Illinois, “cyber bullying”, “cyber stalking” and “cyber harassment” are considered criminal acts. “Cyber stalking,” for example, is considered a Class 4 felony and is punishable by 1-3 years in prison and/or $25,000 fine for each occurrence. After the third occurrence it is considered a Class 3 felony, and the prison sentence increases to 2-5 years.

The Bottom Line

Don’t ignore online bullying. It’s affects can be dramatic and can reach into every classroom, regardless of the grade level or subject matter taught. Taking action can be as simple as teaching kids how to STOP, BLOCK and TELL. The impact can save a child’s life.
For more information, please access the following resources:

For a collection of Internet Safety activities, grouped by grade level, visit my web site.

ISAT Preps

2012-02-06T14:55:00.001-06:00

Here are some quick links to help your students prepare for the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT).

2011-2012 Interactive ISAT Sample Questions, from Metacat
ISAT Prep questions, from PSAE-Prep
ISAT Sample Books, from ISBE
More assessment links from ISBE
PrepDog (click the paw print next to your grade level)
ISAT Practice WebQuest, from “Mrs Berg” in Rockford Public Schools
Study Island (if your school has a subscription)

CloudOn, 1 Month Later

2012-02-06T14:03:00.001-06:00

A little over a month ago I blogged about CloudOn, a nifty little Microsoft Office emulator for iPad that uses DropBox for file storage.

Long story short – I still like it! I probably use CloudOn weekly, usually for word (Word?) processing. I’ve used the interface for presentations to modify several Power Points and even create one or two from scratch. I really haven’t used the spreadsheet interface much at all, but it looks pretty much like Excel.

One of my initial concerns was connectivity – You’re dependent on CloudOn’s servers and you must have an uninterrupted Internet connection in order to use it. I am fortunate to work probably 90% of the time in Wi-Fi environments. Early on, I was frequently kicked off due to high traffic on CloudOn’s servers. That has happened much less frequently over the past 2 weeks, in my estimation. It seems as though, as long as my connection is reliable, their servers have been, too.

The other big drawback I had was the smallish buttons and links. My fingers and sense-of-touch aren’t as precise as a mouse or a stylus might be. After a couple of weeks of use, I have found that I’m getting better at navigating the Ribbon-like menu commands. Muscle-memory is a wonderful thing.

CloudOn continues to be a free app, useable for as long as you need it or as long as their servers will allow it. The “Remaining Time” ticker within the app is a bit ominous, but at 2 hours it gives me a good reminder to Save my work and redirect my attention from the electronics and back to the Real World again. There are hints on the CloudOn web site that indicate one or more of these characteristics may change in the future, but for now it works pretty well.

CloudOn is currently my favorite productivity app for iPad (next to the Calendar and Email apps. of course). I say that largely because our District’s software-of-choice is the PC version of Microsoft Office. I love Apple’s Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps, but cross-platform formatting headaches keep me from using them more. As I said in my original post, I’d drop all of these like so many hot rocks if Microsoft and Apple could collaborate on an iPad version of Office. But for now, CloudOn is the best work-around available, IMHO.

PS: I also reviewed OnLive Desktop, but access to it has since been blocked by our District’s filtering policies. This is due to OnLive’s association with online video game environments. It may be a great tool/app, but it just won’t work in our school environments.

Internet Safety

2012-02-06T13:07:00.001-06:00

It is never too early to think about Internet Safety and how we are helping kids stay safe online. The law in Illinois says that students must receive Internet Safety instruction at every grade level in grades 3-12, but saying that you have satisfied this mandate by teaching kids how to cite an online source in a research paper is not enough. It’s important to remember that our kids’ needs should drive what we do, not a curriculum guide or a textbook. And kids need guidance when it comes to staying safe.

Teaching Internet Safety doesn’t have to take a lot of time out of your day or out of your curriculum coverage. There are many activities – both online and paper/pencil, both whole-class and individual – that might take only 10-15 minutes every now and then to help reinforce the skills kids need. I’ve put together a number of these activities, organized by grade level clusters, here:

Galesburg CUSD #205’s Internet Safety Resources

The Illinois State Board of Education has announced it’s 3rd Annual Illinois Youth Digital Safety Contest on its Internet Safety Web page. This year’s theme is “Bystander Intervention.” Students can enter individually in groups of 2 or 3 in either the Poster or Electronic entry divisions at their grade level cluster (see the Web site for details). The goal is to highlight how kids and parents can support those who witness or are directly influence by cyber bullies or other online predators.

Please help your students be safe by teaching them the skills they need to respond appropriately to online threats, and encourage them participate in this year’s Internet Safety contest.

Compost Bin DIY

2012-02-06T08:49:00.001-06:00

It’s early February and around 50 degrees in Illinois today. Odd as that is, it does make people start thinking that Spring may be just around the corner. For those of you looking for ways to get your students outside (or if you’re like me a find getting your hands dirty to be therapeutic), here’s a great idea for an early Spring Science project, from NC Worm Farm and LifeHacker.

Materials List:

2 inexpensive plastic bins (called “totes” in the video)
1 lid for above
2 wood blocks for spacers between the two bins (could also use large gravel, rocks, etc.)
Cordless drill (or something to make holes in the bins – BE CAREFUL!)
Optional: 6-inch square of window screen (a piece of cloth will work, too)
Optional: Hot glue (or other non-water-soluble adhesive for screen)
Peat moss, shredded newspaper, old corrugated cardboard, etc.

Groundhog Day Resources

2012-01-17T13:43:00.001-06:00

(Re-printed from last year’s post, because… well… it’s about groundhogs. Really…?)

Image from http://www.groundhog.org/ Honest! Why would I make that up?

Recently I was asked by a former co-worker from another District (who shall remain nameless, for what I hope are obvious reasons):

"Hey Matt! Know any place where I might find some great lesson plan ideas about Groundhog Day?"

Groundhog Day? Really?

It’s a day about a rodent, right?

…kind of a big rodent, mind you, but a rodent nonetheless…

First I thought I might suggest he show a few clips from the Bill Murray/Andi MacDowell movie of the same name, but then I thought, “No, I don't want to be responsible for exposing another generation to that.” Undaunted, I set out to find a more educationally-appropriate response to this seemingly simple question.

And hey, wouldn’t you know? There’s an official website of the Punxsutawney Phil Groundhog Club. Please note: It’s the OFFICIAL web site! Beware of imitations…

Anyway, visitors can find lesson plans & activity ideas, including teaching students the lyrics to groundhog-themed songs, like I'm Dreaming of the Great Groundhog, and Groundhog Wonderland. (I was shocked, however, that there was no redux of The Captain & Tennille's Muskrat Love. I mean, isn’t that the obvious connection?)

Kids can also learn groundhog-themed games, like Groundhog Bingo and something called "Toss the Hog." You could then end your day crafting Groundhog Poetry, sharing a Groundhog Video, or completing some paper & pencil activities while enjoying Groundhog Cookies! (Oh my, you can even buy a groundhog-shaped cookie cutter.)

Mmmmm.... I can't remember the last time I enjoyed Groundhog Cookies…

No, honestly... I really can't… Nor would I want to try…

2012 Update: In all seriousness, some fun and quasi-relevant curriculum activities have been added to the site. This year you can also find some quality links to meteorology resources and other geography activities in addition to those listed above on the Teacher Resource pages, organized by grade level clusters.

Ultrabooks

2012-01-17T12:57:00.001-06:00

This past week at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, a number of different companies unveiled new lines of laptops called “ultrabooks.” LifeHacker has published a simple, plain-English explanation of what these are and how they differ from traditional computers. Teachers may start hearing about ultrabooks in conversation, TV spots, and Sunday paper story flyers, so here’s a quick run-down.

Basically, according to the article, ultrabooks are very thin and lightweight laptop computers that start up very quickly. Generally speaking, most ultrabooks have a full-sized keyboard, a decent-sized display, and some may have a solid-state hard drive (no moving parts). Because they’re so skinny & light – somewhere between a traditional laptop and a tablet – most are using a special processor from Intel, who also coined the term “ultrabook” to describe this new flock of hardware. Their design also limits the number of USB ports, video ports, and peripherals that can be housed within their cases. CD/DVD drives? Forget about it. Think “Mac Book Air”, only in a Windows PC (Or Google Chrome?) version.

The original intent, according to the LifeHacker article, was to provide high-end performance on a manageable budget price. However, by the time they hit the market they are expected to retail for more than comparable laptops or tablets. The article claims the retail prices will start somewhere between $900-$1200 and move upward from there. As ultrabooks catch on, consumers might expect those prices to drop as competition would likely increase.

The LifeHacker article claims that these are “solid performers” with “mid-range specs” that would be “perfectly respectable laptops for most work, entertainment, and multimedia purposes.” The quick startup time and ease of portability would make ultrabooks a great 1:1 computing solution for schools. While tablets like iPad and others have been criticized for being nice tools for consuming Internet content, ultrabooks might offer more flexibility and computing power, too.

In my humble opinion, after reading this and other articles from the CES, most schools will probably have to wait until competition starts to drive those prices down to more tolerable levels, though. Even with comparable education pricing and bulk discounts, schools could but two iPads for to current cost of one ultrabook. Off-brand Android tablets could take that ratio even higher.

Unfortunately, due to their currently-high pricing it will probably be a few years before we read about widespread adoption of ultrabooks in average downstate school districts. I really hope I’m wrong on that, though. They look like great computing tools to support great teaching & learning activities.

Interactive Bloom’s Taxonomy for Teaching, Learning, and Assessing

2012-01-17T12:03:00.001-06:00

Iowa State University’s Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) has published an interactive look at Bloom’s Taxonomy as it applies to teaching & assessment objectives.

Non-interactive screen shot from http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/RevisedBlooms1.html

To use this tool, go to the Web site and simply mouse-over the tiered blocks to see examples of how cognitive processes relate to various knowledge dimensions. (It is Flash-based, so the interactive features will not work on iPad.) More information is explained in text tables below the interactive tiered model.

This is an excellent tool to keep in mind as you begin planning your next unit of study.

Thank you, Scott McLeod, for the Tweet @mcleod

iSwiFTER Releases Rover Flash Browser for iPad

2012-01-12T13:57:00.001-06:00

Found this in THE Journal…

Rover for iPad is a nice little browser app for iPad that allows Flash & Java to display on iPad. While I’ve just begun to play around with Rover, it did allow me to a few Flash and Java based games and what-not on the iPad. Things ran a bit slowly and were a little pixelated, but that sure beats not running at all!

How Does It Work?

Rover is a cloud-based Flash-streaming platform, much like YouTube is a video-streaming platform. Designed specifically for schools, it has CIPA-compliant content filters built-in and works very nicely with strict firewall policies that many schools have in place. Its Web site also states that no personal user-data is collected or tracked.

Positive

Rover also has quick access to a number of very valuable education-related sites in its “Featured” and “More Content” links that they have preloaded. The “More Content” links are organized by “Elementary School”, “Middle School” and “High School” categories. I did not find an easy way to modify these, however.

Negative

The browser only works in landscape orientation. Users do have to remember to use slightly different ways of interacting with this browser. Its multi-touch capabilities support both one-finger and two-finger swiping and dragging, and these result in different kinds of on-screen commands. For example, a slow one-finger drag will scroll within an interactive window that has been embedded in a page, while a slow two-finger drag will scroll the entire Web page, etc.

The Verdict

Rover for iPad works kind of nicely, even though it’s a bit slow and jumpy with some sites. However, it does seem to be a nice way for students and teachers to interact with some of their favorite Flash or Java based sites using an iPad. With all of the pre-loaded sites ready to go, it would be a nice app to allow kids to play around with during classroom free time, etc., or for parents to allow kids to use during the few moments that their iPads might be idle.

Martin Luther King Resources

2012-01-12T12:42:00.001-06:00

Sorry I’m running a little late with this post, but here are some links to help with your lessons on Martin Luther King, Jr.

Image from www.NobelPrize.org

10 Truths About Teaching With Tech–from Clouducation

2012-01-12T11:25:00.001-06:00

Here are snippets from a great post about teaching with technology. I encourage you to read more on the original post at the Clouducation blog:

Ten Truths about Teaching with Technology
1. Teaching WITHOUT technology is just not acceptable any longer. Can you imagine a teacher refusing to implement special education accommodations? It would be a travesty. Same thing with current technology. …
2. Online learning is inevitable, and is arriving soon… Students already learn plenty online. It would be nice if Algebra or French were a part of that.
3. Online learning does not mean students stare at screens for a majority of the time...
4. Powerpoints do not really signify effective instructive integration of technology… True technology integration breaks the barrier between curriculum and student. A Powerpoint alone cannot do that.
5. Banning cell phone use in schools has created a problem… If teachers embrace the opportunity to harness the power of handheld devices, we put the power of the world at their fingertips…
6. Education reform is about a lot of things, but the driver for all of them is society. Society is plugged in and online and collaborating like never before…
7. Facebook and Twitter are the most powerful collaboration and communication tools ever seen on the planet… How can we ignore their potential impact as teaching tools?
8. Bloom’s Taxonomy has never been more relevant, and learning with technology is at the top of the ladder...
9. Technology is cheap...
10. The shift needs to be bidirectional… administrators who cultivate a culture of innovation and engaged learning are key for any real progress into the 21st Century.

Please read the entire original post at Clouducation

OnLive Desktop–Also Bringing Office to iPad?

2012-01-12T10:31:00.001-06:00

OnLive Desktop is another attempt by a third-party cloud-computing host to bring the Microsoft Office staples – Word, Excel, and Powerpoint – to the iPad. Watch the Wall Street Journal’s review of OnLive Desktop, below.

OnLive currently hosts online gaming environments, so they have started to develop a little bit of a cloud reputation. Their online gaming app has earned 3.5 stars out of 5 in the App Store ratings (as of this posting). Not super-high praise, but not terribly bad either.

It looks and sounds as though OnLive Desktop is allowing your iPad to remotely access a thin-client cloud computer’s desktop that is running full versions of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. So, it is NOT REALLY running Microsoft Office directly from the iPad. Basically, it’s like remotely “borrowing” someone else’s PC to make a document, spreadsheet, or presentation.

It looks promising, but there are still caveats:

You are still dependent on an Internet connection of some sort.
You are still at the mercy of someone else’s server.
The on-screen keyboard appears to be harder to use than Apple’s virtual keyboard.
You still have to store files in the cloud on someone else’s server.

Currently OnLive Desktop is not available in the iTunes App Store, but I’ve signed up to try it out once it is released. Watch this blog for details once I’ve had a chance to try it out for a while. Stay Tuned…

In the meantime, read yesterday’s post about CloudOn, which provides something similar. Sort of. Well, not really… but kind of…

CloudOn: Microsoft Office for iPad?

2012-01-11T16:17:00.001-06:00

During Winter Break, Twitter was in a flap about some new iPad app that was rumored to bring Microsoft Office programs to the iPad for free. I remember thinking to myself, “Was it possible? Could this be iPad’s Holy Grail?” So I brewed myself a pot of coffee and journeyed to the App Store in my jammies to find out.

Guess what? “Temporarily Unavailable.” Wouldn't you know! A few days later I read another online article or two about it, so I went looking again. It had resurfaced, this time with an explanation that it had to be pulled due to unexpected & overwhelming demand.

“Hmmm…” said the skeptic in my head. “I wonder if it’s a buggy beta-version or something. But it’s free, so what the heck…” Click… Download… Install…

…wow…

Screenshot from http://site.cloudon.com/ showing Word-like interface

What Is It?

CloudOn emulates Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint on the iPad. It looks a lot like the Office 2010 versions of these applications at first blush, though some commands & buttons were in different places in the “Ribbon”-like top portions of these screens.

CloudOn works in conjunction with DropBox to store files “in the cloud” on remote servers. If you don’t already have a DropBox account, you can create one after you install CloudOn. It’s free, too. CloudOn does not currently appear to work with other cloud storage services.

Screenshot from CloudOn in Apple iTunes App Store showing Excel-like interface & keyboard

How Does It Work?

Positive

CloudOn works pretty well! (when it’s working – see below) It really does “look and feel” like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, once you get over the fact that commands and buttons may be in different locations. The on-screen keyboard includes an extra row of function and arrow keys to help you with a variety of Office features, which was an unexpected plus. (Apple’s Bluetooth keyboard works well with it, too!) Formatting seems to carry over pretty seamlessly between the desktop and iPad versions of individual documents, so I didn’t have conversion issues like those I’ve experienced bouncing back-and-forth between Office and other productivity apps.

I was very impressed by the ability to make charts & graphs within all three programs, just like the desktop version of the Microsoft Office counterparts. Header & Footer features, spell-checking, using Styles, text boxes, page layout, even many of the features in the References tab (which I don’t use often) all seem to work almost the same as those in the Ribbons in Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. The Powerpoint side of CloudOn lets you add animations & transitions, etc., just like the desktop version. The Excel interface even has column filters and what-not. The list goes on and on…

CloudOn also lets users create new documents on the iPad which can then be accessed via PC through DropBox. Some others that I’ve found lack this functionality.

In a nutshell, it’s really good. For a free app, it offers a lot of compatibility and features without having to get used to a whole new interface. Oh, and best of all did I mention,

IT’S FREE!

Screenshot from CloudOn in Apple iTunes App Store showing Powerpoint-like interface

Negative

CloudOn imitates the look and “feel” of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint on the iPad. CloudOn’s versions of these programs are running on remote servers, so your iPad must be connected to the Internet at all times while you’re working on documents. I have a wifi-only iPad & I rarely need to use it when I’m not in a wifi environment, so for me that’s no big deal. For others, though, this could be a limiting factor.

I also found myself at the mercy of CloudOn’s servers – when they are experiencing unusually high traffic, I was “bumped off” the service in the middle of working on a document or presentation. This happened several times on separate occasions.

Once again, this is not a “real” Microsoft Office App. It is a very good imitation. Ribbon commands and buttons are not in the same place. If you freaked out when you switched from Office 2003 to 2007/2010 because all your comfortable and familiar “buttons” were suddenly gone, this could cause similar angst.

On the nit-picky side: Sometimes the menus and some of the “Ribbon” buttons were hard to access. The fonts and buttons are a little on the small side for a touch interface, in my opinion. Maybe it’s my pudgy fingers and aging eyes…

Last, CloudOn only works on iPad1 & iPad2. It does not transfer to iPhone or iPodTouch. However, those screens would be too small, in my opinion, for this to work anyway. Once again, big fingers & bad eyes…

Some articles I’ve read indicate that future versions of CloudOn may implement tiered services, making users pay for using it for longer periods of time, or pay to use certain features, etc. Sounds disappointing, but time will tell.

THE VERDICT

Overall, I really like it! I’ve used other iPad apps for productivity, including QuickOffice Pro HD and Apple’s iWork suite (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote). Each are very useful in their own ways, and they are each very good.

However, I am: (1) looking for a way to seamlessly transition between the PC versions of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint and an iPad; (2) not against using cloud storage for files because I don’t want to jailbreak the iPad nor do I recommend it; and (3) tight with a buck and prefer FREE to almost any other kind of app.

Now, if Microsoft ever developsfree versions of Office Web Apps that run on iPad, I’ll happily drop all of these apps like a hot rock! It’s clear to me that the overwhelming demand for this product should wake up the folks at Microsoft who have the ability to put Office Web Apps for iPad on the fast-track. Now that Microsoft’s SkyDrive and OneNote are available for iOS devices, perhaps Office Web Apps should be the next logical step?

… Or maybe Microsoft is holding out for a Windows 8 Tablet, instead, like the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, recently unveiled at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show? Hmm…

For me, and for right now, though, CloudOn is a great app!

Click to view CloudOn in the iTunes App Store

Other Reviews:

Most Popular Posts from 2011

2012-01-10T16:47:00.001-06:00

The New Year offers many the opportunity to look back and reflect as well as prepare for the year ahead. Here is a quick walk down memory land, reviewing the ten most-often-accessed posts from the past calendar year.

The 15 Best iPad 2 Apps Downloads You MUST Have Installed, from Technology To Software. This was a nice post for those of us new to iPads. I’m sure there are oodles of other apps out there now to add to this list. Fifteen… HA!

Tiki-Toki: Free Web-based Timeline Creator, which I learned about from iLearnTechnology. Makes the old Social Studies teacher in me yearn for a classroom again.

The Great Behavior Game, which I learned about from Kleinspiration. This is a great resource that would be very helpful for dealing with kids who need visual reinforcement for appropriate classroom behavior. It would be a great tool for teachers who work with special populations!

Writing Prompts, which I found on iLearn Technology. This is a great source to help stimulate thought and put those thoughts into words. I could see this being used as a daily or weekly bell-ringer activity across many grade levels.

Cleaning SMART Boards and Projectors Hey! Finally, one of my own musings! I hope many have found this to be good advice for maintaining classroom tech tools.

Rocks and Weathering Animation from the BBC would be a great addition to any classroom that studies Earth Science. Thanks to iLearn Technology for the tip!

SMART Notebook 10.8 was cool when I first heard about it, but is even better once I got my hands on it and started playing around with it. Hooray!

Engaging Students with Autism Using a SMART Board was found on the EdCompass Blog. It’s a great article on how to engage kids with special needs using interactive whiteboards.

Outlook Tip: Appointments, Reminders, and Texts. This was a how-to post I wrote after we launched the use of the Outlook Web App. Communication is key!

Is iPad3 Worth Waiting For? Time will still tell about this one. Since I posted it, more rumors have been flying about leading us to believe that a mini-iPad may actually be in the works. Wouldn’t that just be a big iPod Touch? We’ll see!

12 Education Tech Trends to Watch, from Mind/Shift

2012-01-05T14:48:00.001-06:00

The New Year is a great time to look ahead and make plans for the future, whether that be a simple Resolution or something more long-term. This article from Mind/Shift gives a quick overview of the 12 Education Tech Trends to Watch:

Mobile Phones
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
Bandwidth Issues
Natural User Interfaces
Web Apps
Data
Adaptive Learning
Privacy/Security
Open Licensing
Peer-to-Peer Learning
“The Maker Movement”
Gaming

Read the Article to learn even more.

Apps to help students with ADHD

2012-01-05T13:40:00.001-06:00

Tech & Learning has published a list of iPad/iPhone/iPodTouch applications that could assist students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Read the full list at the TL Advisor Blog.

Admongo.gov

2012-01-05T13:00:00.000-06:00

Image from www.admongo.gov

Teaching Media Literacy, Business, or Consumer Science?
Admongo, from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), will help students decipher the myriad forms of advertising they are exposed to daily to help them make better choices as informed consumers.
Intended for upper elementary and secondary students, this game-based web site shows kids how businesses market products to them, tries to persuade them to give up their (or their parents’) hard-earned money, as well as how to recognize when they’re being targeted for advertising schemes. There are also links to companion sites for teachers and parents, as well as text-only pages for handouts, quizzes, etc.
Learn more by watching the FTC's trailer video below.

Admongo.gov

XBox Kinect in Education

2012-01-05T11:55:00.001-06:00

Think video games have no place in schools? Think again!

Microsoft’s XBox Kinect has a listing of lesson plans that help teachers integrate this technology into classroom activities.

This lesson plan by Julie Sessions will help teachers use the Kinect with Math Common Core State Standards. (I learned of this site from Vicki Davis on Twitter: @coolcatteacher)

Learn more by watching the promo video, below:

XBox Kinect in Edcuation–from www.kinecteducation.com/

To get Kinect in Education ideas direct to your email, CLICK HERE

Skyward Standards Report Card–A Reminder In Verse

2011-12-19T16:10:00.001-06:00

I was feeling a little creative over lunch earlier today and waxed a bit poetic while answering a teacher’s question about how to enter grades & skill marks in Skyward’s Standards Grade Book. If you’re interested in my attempt at a bit of lyric prose, read on… If not, I won’t blame you a bit…

Image from: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/MP900448550.aspx

‘Twas the day before Winter Break, and all through the school,
Teachers were starting to panic, a few started to drool.
Their papers were graded, recorded with care,
In hopes their Report Card grades would magically appear!

“The children are gone, now mocking us,” they thought
“I just want to ditch this computer and walk!”
“I’ll put on my kerchief, then put on my cap,
“When the #@!! do I get MY ‘long winter’s nap’?”

When out in the hall there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my desk to see what was the matter.

Fellow teachers were frantically rifling through piles,
Of Skyward HOW-TOs, moaning, “It’s in one of these files!”
I saw tears on their cheeks, their make-up brought fright,
‘Twas then I remembered: Matt’s Skyward Help Web site!

At the top of the page I gave a quick look,
The first entry said something about Standards Gradebook!
So we clicked on the link. Relieved sighs were let out.
This document explained what we’d all worried ‘bout!

“But wait!” said the Art teacher. “Mine differs!” he wallowed.
And those teaching PE, Music, and Library soon followed.
“Place your skill marks in columns under headings solid-colored,
“And your grades will appear. Principals needn’t be bothered!”

With this information we’ll finish grades quick,
And maybe relieve a few stressed facial tics!
“If we finish this soon we can go wet our whistles,”
So away they all flew as if strapped onto missiles!

Soon our grades and skill marks were all put to bed,
And we realized these fears had been all in our heads.
Then we straightened our classrooms. Long minutes caused woe.
‘Til that glorious announcement: “Teachers: Now you can go!”

We sprang to our sleighs, hoping each would then start,
As if driving race cars, soon they all would depart!
But I heard them exclaim, as their sleds disappeared,
“Happy Holidays to All, and a Happy New Year!”

Image from www.skyward.com

Let It Snow on Google

2011-12-19T16:00:00.001-06:00

Here’s a fun little trick:

Open your Web browser.

(So far I know this works in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari)

Type “Let it snow” in the search box (not case-sensitive
Snow will begin to fall and your screen will fog up
Use your mouse as an “ice scraper” to clear away the snow, or click the “Defrost” button. Snowflakes will continue to fall but the fog goes away.

What Are Cookies and What Do They Do?

2011-12-19T15:29:00.001-06:00

Ever wonder why sometimes Web sites know your username, password, or other information automatically while others don’t? Wonder why you and a friend sometimes get completely different results when searching for the exact same terms? Sit back, have another cookie, and enjoy this video explanation from Explania.

How can cookies make your surfing experience convenient? - Explania

Thanks to @RMByrne for this tip on Free Tech for Teachers

OTUS News Match-O-Matic, from ABC News

2011-12-19T15:16:00.001-06:00

The Match-O-Matic from ABC News’ OTUS (“Of the United States”) News Web site is an interesting way to gauge how students’ personal views align with the current Presidential candidates’ political platforms. By clicking on answers to some of the major questions now raging through the headlines, the Match-O-Matic delivers the top 3 candidates who most closely match the user’s answers. The Match-O-Matic also breaks down responses question-by-question showing which candidate each submitted answer aligns with. Conceivably, a user could agree with Barack Obama on one issue, Michelle Bachman on a second, and Newt Gingrich on a third.

In The Classroom:

This would be an interesting way to start a discussion or classroom debate about today’s hot-button political issues. Students could move through the questions individually, print out their results, and be grouped by candidate. Since overall opinions on the many issues may differ within a single group, “mini-debates” could erupt as each group clarifies its overall position before the full-class debate occurs.

Is iPad3 Worth Waiting For? from Yahoo News

2011-12-12T15:03:00.001-06:00

Recent talk surrounding the next generation of student computing devices has speculated on the next generation of tablets, a market dominated by the venerable iPad.

Image clipped from video at http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upgrade-your-life/ipad-3-worth-waiting-212844799.html

Watch this video from Yahoo! about what’s on the horizon for the next iPad.
Well, I don’t know what the big whoop might be about all this – it’s really nothing new or unanticipated. Among the rumors that the Yahoo! article mentioned as LIKELY IMPROVEMENTS to the next iPad:

High-Res display – Can you say, “iPadHD”???
Thinner – Can you say “And More Expensive” too???
- This article, however, suggests that it HD display will require the next iPad to be thicker, though. So who really knows?
Faster – That’s a no-brainer.
Pretty Colors – Rumors indicate the aluminum shell may be replaced by carbon fiber, which is lighter, stronger, and can also accept colors & visual textures. Perhaps schools will be able to brand every iPad3 with a school logo, etc., or “If found drop in any mailbox… but don’t sell it or keep it as your own.”
Better camera – perhaps with a flash. Not a big selling point for schools, IMHO.

What’s NOT LIKELY, according to the Yahoo! article and video:

New OS??? – could make the iPad less of a toy and more of a laptop-replacement device. Hmmm… that’d be nice… we’ll see…
Flash – iPad and Adobe Flash simply do not play well together. And apparently will not in the future. Period.
USB port/SD Card slot – iPaddlers will still have to rely on cloud storage services to transfer files to and from the iPad.
iPad Lite – The jury is still out on a 7-inch device between the size (and cost) of an iPhone & an iPad. We’ll see how this changes as iPad’s virtual feet are held to the (Kindle) Fire.

What this means for schools, in my humble opinion:

Pros: A new OS that might allow more robust creation of documents and content would be a welcomed improvement. A new model could cause a “fire sale” or “clearance blowout” of previous iPad models, but if the prices for iPhone 4 vs. iPhone 4S are an indicator then it won’t make a whole lot of difference.
Cons: A new model will only be more expensive and therefore harder for schools to put into the hands of kids. What this tells me is that Apple is feeling some competition and trying to make tweaks to its bread-and-butter to retain its market-share.

Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

2011-12-12T13:09:00.001-06:00

The following question was posed to me recently:

“Can you explain Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to me?”

...wow... where to start... ???

Image from http://youtu.be/NegRGfGYOwQ

Social media has become so pervasive throughout our lifestyles that we – or in this case, I – don’t often stop to think about the components that make these tools similar and different

Only after stumbling through several answers to some really good questions did I find the following:

Social Media (i.e.: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and like a bajillion other similar services)

Facebook:

Twitter:

YouTube 101 (series of how-to videos):

And, on a related note, YouTube just posted this video about YouTube for Schools:

So How Did You Actually Answer The Question?

All are considered "Social Media," allowing users to create and share rich content.
All have an element of adding one's own comments and opinions to be shared and re-shared. This can be tricky for classrooms, but there are ways to protect kids' anonymity & emotions so each tool can be used for safe and legitimate classroom purposes.
All allow varying degrees of privacy and security, which require the administrator of the social media site - in schools that's usually a classroom teacher - to oversee what is/is not visible and who can/cannot participate.
There are private versions of the sites above (for example, SchoolTube allows private video sharing for schools, Ning & Edmodo offer private social networking tools, etc.) that schools & districts might consider. There are literally thousands of social media sites available for individuals and schools to use. Some are free; some charge annual fees. Generally, the more secure you want to be, the more you'll have to pay.
Schools and Districts should, in my humble opinion, develop & have approved social media policies on-file before beginning such endeavors. Examine your school's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for details and decide if it needs updating. If it hasn't been updated in the last 5 years, it probably needs an upgrade to include language about social media tools.

What Adults Can Learn From Kids

2011-12-09T08:55:00.001-06:00

Image from www.TED.com

Adora Svitak is a 13 year-old prodigy who is a published author and nationally-reognized speaker. Her message, below, is that "Learning should be reciprocal," and, as she demonstrates, kids are capable of amazing and inspiring things when they are supported by adults and allowed to explore in their own ways instead of learning the way previous generations learned.

As she says, kids "can grow up to blow you away."

Watch... Listen... Learn... Be blown away...

From Adora Svitak: What Adults Can Learn From Kids

ELL Ideas in December SMART EdCompass

2011-12-06T08:52:00.001-06:00

The December issue of SMART’s EdCompass Magazine focuses primarily on the use of SMART Boards and associated technologies to help English Language Learners (ELL). Specifically, this month’s issue includes:

Ideas to help non-English speakers acquire essential language skills supported by SMART software and hardware.
Case studies describing how schools actually use SMART technologies to help ELL students.
Links to products & webinars specifically targeting ELL student needs.

However, as always there are other articles to help any SMART Board user utilize classroom software & hardware resources more fully. For example, in this issue you’ll also find articles on:

Using the My Content folder in SMART Notebook to store frequently-used pages so you don’t have to constantly re-create things pages or objects.
How to download pre-made SMART Notebook lessons that you can customize for your own classroom from the SmART Exchange Web site.
How to download SMART Response questions sets from the SMART Exchange Web site.
How to download new Gallery Collections for specific subject areas through the SMART Exchange Web site.
Math & Literacy support using a SMART Board and SMART Response (Senteo) clickers.
How SMART is helping prepare students and their teachers for Common Core State Standards.

Check out the December issue of SMART’s EdCompass magazine today!
Images from www.smarttech.com

Online Learning, Personalized

2011-12-05T15:34:00.001-06:00

Image from www.khanacademy.org

“Grading the Digital School: Online Learning, Personalized,” is a great article from The New York Times, on the work of Salman Khan and the folks at Khan Academy. The video below gives more details, too. It’s a great insight into the concept of “The Flipped Classroom.”

Image from www.nytimes.com

Have You Cleaned Your Filter This Week?

2011-12-05T14:34:00.001-06:00

Image clipped from www.epson.com

Using all these gadget-y things in the classroom is fun and it helps kids learn, but ed tech also requires some basic standard maintenance, too.

Please help prolong the life of the projectors associated with SMART Boards by cleaning the projector frequently and regularly. Once each week is a good rule of thumb.

Within the District, I send a weekly email update every Tuesday. When that message shows up in your inbox, consider that your reminder to clean out the filter on the projector.

Here's how to clean the filter each week:

Turn the projector off. Unplugging it wouldn't hurt, either.
Stand on a step-stool or ladder. Avoid standing on a chair or desk, etc. Ask your custodian for assistance as needed.
Locate the filter. As you are looking into the big fish-eye lens, you'll see a small black plastic part just to the side. That's the filter. (It's circled in red in the image above.
Remove the Filter. Grab the black plastic filter with your thumb and index finger and pull it straight out toward the SMART Board.
Gently shake or blow the dust off the filter. You might want to do that over a trash can.
Reinsert the filter. It only fits one way - the same way you took it out. Don't force it. You can wash it off, too, but don't scrub it... If the foam material is torn, the filter is useless.
Examine the projector for dust buildup. If you see a lot of dust & debris built up, especially around the cooling vents, gently brush it away from the projector (never in towards it).

NEVER RUN THE PROJECTOR WITHOUT A CLEAN FILTER PROPERLY INSTALLED! You wouldn't run your car's engine without an oil filter, would you? Let's hope not.

NEVER USE COMPRESSED OR "CANNED" AIR TO CLEAN THE SURFACE OR COOLING VENTS OF THE PROJECTOR! This will only force surface dirt & other crud DEEPER into the projector. And that's not good.

If you notice a lot of dirt built up in and around the cooling vents, if the image seems to be getting dimmer, or if your projector starts "making noise," it probably needs professional attention. Submit a Tech Help Request from your classroom computer... quickly... to have someone from the Tech Department drop by and check it over for you.

And remember, each week when you get my Tech & PD Update, ask yourself...
"Did I clean my filter this week?"

Top 100 Web Sites of 2011

2011-12-05T14:22:00.001-06:00

Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero has published an extensive list of educational resources and just-plain-fun sites. Take a look as your busy schedules allow – you’re sure to find something useful!

Hey! People Are Trying to Tweet Over Here…

2011-12-05T12:26:00.001-06:00

Image from www.twitter.com

…and it’s about time… Thanks to @JMGubbins and the recent Illinois Education and Technology Conference, I’ve finally gotten off my duff and started using Twitter.

Follow me, if you wish, here: @205mjacobson

Visit @JMGubbins at Zenodotus

Make a Blog or a Web Site - Free!

2011-12-05T12:13:00.001-06:00

Want to communicate more with students & parents? Kids asking you to “tech it up a notch?” Try making a blog or Web site – It’s super easy!

Clicking the link or image above will take you to a Web site I use to teach a class for educators on blogging. What a lot of people don’t realize is that you can use a blog like this to create and maintain your own classroom web site in the same way! Generally you can have up to 10 (or more) “static” or unchanging pages, along with a blog page, so…

Outline your class with up to 10 general units or topics. Have a 9- or 18-week class? Then outline it with 1- or 2-week chunks, with a Course Syllabus, Outline, or About Your Teacher page.
Create up to 10 static pages and load each page up with text & content for each unit, topic, or time period. The “Posts/Pages” and “Images/Videos” steps in the class web site will help you learn how to do this. (You don’t have to fill up all 10 pages – do what fits best to your class needs & teaching style.)
Help kids stay on-track by creating a post for each unit, topic, or time period that explains the tasks you will be asking students to complete and the timeline for each stage of your course or unit. Make sure your post includes a link to the static page that covers the unit or time period. (Don’t worry – All this is explained in the “Posts/Pages” step.)

Here’s the only tricky part: A blog generally places your most recent post at the top of the page, with the older stuff pushed to the bottom. If you want to publish things for the whole year/term chronologically from top-to-bottom, you’ll need to post in reverse-order. This will allow the last item you cover in the term to be pushed to the very bottom of your home page and the first item you cover will remain at the top of the blog page, etc.

Here are 2 easy ways around the tricky part:

Type out all your posts and save them in draft form. Then schedule your posts to magically appear at a date & time that you choose. So, once everything is typed out, you then schedule the posts to appear in the order you wish.

Or, if you like kids to say with you and not work too far ahead, schedule your posts to appear at some unreasonable hour of the morning the day you start into the unit, topic, or time period. Your students will be impressed that you appear to be working on preparing their class at 3 AM the day they arrive in your class! So while they are marveling at your dedication, only you will know that you were actually sleeping like a baby at the time! (Don’t worry – How to pull off these tricks is also explained in the “Posts/Pages” step.)

I want to learn how! Each year I offer teachers in our District several opportunities to attend classes and learn new tech skills. Blogging With and For Your Students is one of our frequent offerings. Click the image to link to the class! You can wander through it at your own leisurely pace.

I highly recommend Blogger, EduBlogs, and Weebly for free blog & Web site hosting and design tools. Blogger and EduBlogs are blogging engines. Weebly focuses more on Web sites that include a blog page and allows online storage of documents that you can then embed into pages so students can access assignments, etc., from a lab or home computer. For the class, I use Blogger, simply because it is more widely recognized and many already have Google accounts when they arrive in class. However, I’ve used all three of the above before and, like our students, each is excellent in its own unique way.

Those who have taken the class have told me they never realized how simple it would be to create a blog or a Web site of their very own. The class is about an hour long and is open to any District #205 or KWSED teacher. Register with your school email here! (Out of District and non-school emails will be considered spam and will be ignored & deleted.)

DISCLAIMER: Helping teachers teach is my mission, my job, and one of my joys in life. I don’t get paid extra to teach these classes – You’ll find no ads on the class site. I’m not getting paid a penny for recommending any of the sites mentioned above or anywhere else on this site. These are all free resources intended to help you help kids. ‘Nuff Said.

Zenodotus - Intensely Tech

2011-12-04T01:12:00.001-06:00

Last month I attended the Illinois Ed Tech Conference in Springfield, Illinois. While there I attended a session by James Gubbins, who has enlightened me on several new classroom tech resources. I encourage all readers to surf over to his blog, Zenodotus!

screen shot clipped from http://zenodotus.net

10,000!

2011-12-04T00:47:00.001-06:00

Over the weekend this blog reached the 10,000 page views threshold! Wow! Many thanks to all who have visited! I hope you have enjoyed reading and learned something new along the way. I'll keep doing my best to post interesting and useful new resources to help your classroom! Thanks again! - Matt

How Games Make Kids Smarter

2011-11-29T12:49:00.001-06:00

Do you think video games result in learning difficulties, ADHD, increased violence, and the overall liquification of a child’s gray matter? Think again! These things are NOT true, according to this TED Talk video, by Gabe Zichermann:

“Gamification”– it’s a good thing…

http://www.ted.com/talks/gabe_zichermann_how_games_make_kids_smarter.html

The Technology of Storytelling

2011-11-28T13:24:00.001-06:00

Take a walk through the pages of history with Joe Sabia, as he introduces us to Lothar Meggendorfer, who created the iPad of the 18th Century: the pop-up book. His video essay discusses how storytelling has changed over time as technology has advanced, while the stories themselves remain essentially unchanged. Enjoy!

Budgets, Taxes, and Deficits

2011-11-23T09:47:00.001-06:00

Recently I read this post on the Voice of America Web site:

Students Debate US Budget Through Online Game

Budget Hero, mentioned in the story above, is an online political/economic simulation that would be a great resource for any high school Econ, Civics, PoliSci, or Social Studies classroom. It’s also a great example of how kids can use simulations and games to practice solving real-world problems.

About a year ago, the New York Times published an article (“O.K., You Fix the Budget,” November 13, 2010) and a related Web site on a similar topic. There is also a link to various essays and research on the topic, so students can read about many aspects of the budget debate to help inform their decisions. On the simulation Web site, students check a series of boxes next to possible solutions and see how their decisions affect the overall US economy, both in the short- and long-term views.

There are several other free online resources that would offer students similar experiences. Here are just a few that I’ve blogged about in the past. These would all be great for high school & perhaps even upper middle school social studies or life skills classes.

What We Pay For breaks down the federal budget into individual fund items that are easier to understand, using current budget figures. Students can also input annual income features and find out exactly how much taxes one would pay and where each dollar and cent would go in the budget. The site really takes the abstract concept of taxation and makes it concrete for kids.

Where Did My Tax Dollars Go? is a similar site that displays information in pie-chart format. That visual representation is a nice way to help visualize & understand how the government divides up tax revenue to provide goods and services to citizens.

SPENT takes budgets to a very personal level for a lot of kids and families. The premise of the site is simple: You’ve lost your job, exhausted all savings, and have $1000 left to get you through the month. How will you spend it? Kids must make very real and difficult decisions about their personal & family life, and how those decisions lead one down different paths in life.

Images used in this post are screenshots from their respective Web sites. Each image is hyperlinked back to its source – click the images to visit the sites.

World’s Worst Passwords

2011-11-23T07:49:00.001-06:00

Found this posted on Yahoo! Finance today.

25 “Worst Passwords” of 2011 Revealed

According to the article, a good password “…should contain at least eight characters. It should contain a mix of four different types of characters - upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, and special characters such as !@#$%^&*,;" … It should not be a name, a slang word, or any word in the dictionary. It should not include any part of your name or your e-mail address.”

Keep in mind, though, that some Web sites will not accept certain special characters, so don’t get your heart set on just one password.

Another good tip from the article: Try turning a sentence into a password. “For example, ‘Now I lay me down to sleep’ might become nilmDOWN2s, a 10-character password that won't be found in any dictionary.”

Here’s a great video on developing safe passwords from Explania.com. It reinforces the tips in the article, and also contains a nice tool to help you test your new password idea at the end of the animation.

How to choose a safe password - Explania

Note that the article, which has a much more recent publication date, suggests that it might be okay to write down your password – or at least a hint to your password – and carry with you so you don’t forget it. The video, which has been around longer than the article, suggests that you not write down your password.

My advice (for what it’s worth): Do what works best for you, but don’t write down your passwords and put them on a sticky note on your monitor or under your keyboard, etc., and don’t write down your credit card PIN numbers and keep them in your wallet with your credit cards. Common sense and convenience do not always walk hand-in-hand when it comes to this stuff.

Khan Academy

2011-11-22T14:34:00.001-06:00

I posted about the Khan Academy back in March, but in the months since then the site has really taken off and gained worldwide notoriety! (No, I’m not implying a causal relationship, just sheer coincidence… ) Take a few minutes to watch and listen to the video above.

The Khan Academy know houses thousands of videos on topics too numerous to mention here in the areas of Math & Science and now Economics, the Humanities and others! There is no sign-up required at all, and all the videos are free-of-charge to use in any classroom.

The Khan Academy resources would be a great way to help you “flip the classroom,” allowing students the opportunity to learn independently and focusing more of your valuable class time on applying their newly-developed knowledge to solving real-world problems, etc.

Learn more and explore topics covered by the Khan Academy

Cleaning SMART Boards & Projectors

2011-11-22T13:49:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I forget that people want to know answers to some of classroom life’s simpler things. I often hear questions like this:

How do I clean a SMART Board?

You can really use anything. Glass cleaner works nicely for quick touch-ups. The stuff that the custodians use to clean regular white boards actually works really well too! BUT WAIT! Before you unleash your inner Mr. Clean, here are the DO’s and DON’T’s:

ALWAYS spray the cleaning solution onto a soft cloth and then wipe the board
NEVER spray cleaning solution onto the board – the cleaning liquid could drip down the Board and fry the circuitry in the pen tray, causing you and your building principal’s budget a very bad day, because that kind of problem is not covered by anybody’s warranty
ALWAYS wipe and NEVER scrub – scrubbing leaves shiny spots on the Board and is really distracting when an image is projected onto it
NEVER use anything abrasive. Cleaners like Comet, Soft Scrub, etc., or a Magic Eraser or “scratchy-pad” like the rough side of a kitchen sponge are all fine products, I’m sure, but they should never come close to a SMART Board
NEVER use anything containing bleach
UNPLUG things from outlets near the SMART Board during cleaning. Electricity and cleaning solutions are not good friends

How do I clean a projector?

The projector that goes with a SMART Board is easy to forget about since it is usually hanging from the wall or ceiling and is harder to get to. However, keeping it clean is really quite easy!

Once or more each week, remove the filter by the lens and blow the dust & crud off it before reinserting.
If you see dirt or dust on the housing, use a vacuum (ask your friendly building custodian for assistance with this if needed) to remove it, but NEVER use compressed or “canned” air. That will just force the dust and dirt into the mirrors & lenses and can virtually destroy the projector.
UNPLUG the projector before cleaning it.
ALWAYS ask for assistance from a custodian, tech staffer, etc., when working on techie-things out of reach. Avoid standing on chairs, tables, student desks, etc. Find a ladder or grab a step-stool.

FINAL THOUGHTS

NEVER allow helpful and well-meaning students to clean your SMART Board or projector for you

There are no more germs on a SMART Board that there are on your classroom door handle. Kids touch the door handle… kids touch the SMART Board… it’s all pretty much the same…

iCivics

2011-11-18T13:49:00.001-06:00

Branches of Power is a great Web resource I blogged about back in 2010. When I originally posted this, either I skipped over the teacher resources, or they hadn’t been fully developed yet. Visit them today and prepare to be impressed!

Please read the iLearn Technology post to learn more about the features of the game and what others think about it.

iCivics, the group that designed this game, also offers lots more resources to help any Social Studies or Language Arts classroom. Their Branches of Power Curriculum Units page has resources for Foreign Affairs, State and Local Government, Politics & Public Policy, Budget, Foundations of Government, and Citizenship & Participation. There are even Persuasive Writing lessons, so you can support your local English/Language Arts teachers as we all work together toward mastery of the National Common Core State Standards! All of the games and simulations include extensive lesson plans and supporting materials.

iCivics also has games to help students in a variety of areas:

Citizenship & Participation
Constitution & The Bill of Rights
Budgeting
Separation of Powers
The Executive Branch
The Legislative Branch
The Judicial Branch

The games are also divided into time-frame categories: Some take less than 15 minutes, some take 15-30 minutes, and some take more than a half-hour to complete. While I haven’t looked through all the games on the site, I would expect most of them to be geared toward the Middle School and High School grades.

Learn more about iCivics by flipping through their virtual brochure, below:

LEARN360 & Common Core State Standards

2011-11-09T15:10:00.001-06:00

District #205 Secondary (Grades 6-12) Teachers: If you haven’t noticed already, connections between the National Common Core State Standards (NCCSS) and LEARN360 videos & other resources have been made. When you log in to the LEARN360 server, you can now search for videos and other content by individual Common Core Standards, including Literacy Standards for Social Studies & Science! There are literally thousands of resources available to help you incorporate the NCCSS into your classroom, and many even have lesson plans, viewing guides, worksheets, and other activities linked to them as well!

If you work in District #205 Middle or High Schools and you haven’t used LEARN360 yet, just send me an email & I’ll drop by your classroom to help you log on and get started!

Talking to Teens About Online Predators

2011-11-08T11:41:00.001-06:00

I found this Tip Sheet on Talking With Teens About Online Predators linked to the November 2011 Netsmartz Five monthly mailing.

The tip sheet is from the University of New Hampshire’s Crimes Against Children Research Center. The tip sheet includes several “Dos and Don’ts” to keep in mind when discussing this difficult topic with kids, whether you’re a teacher, counselor, or parent. Here are a few examples of items to share with teens. The tip sheet obviously contains more suggestions, advice, and supporting research – this is just an overview:

Provocative and sexy names and pictures can draw attention from people you don’t want in your life.
1 in 25 youth in one year received an online sexual solicitation where the solicitor tried to make offline contact
Be careful about who you give personal information to and what kinds of things you share
Internet offenders target teens who are willing to talk online about sex
Boys can be criminally victimized online, too
Using the Internet or a cell phone to send sexual pictures of yourself or friends can get you in trouble with the law
Don’t harass others. People may retaliate in ways you don’t expect.
… and many more…

There is also a list of Internet Tips for Teens at the end of the document that is perfect for displaying in a classroom or handing out to parents.

If Kids Designed Apps, from THE Journal

2011-11-08T09:58:00.001-06:00

Here’s an interesting article from THE Journal:

Kids, parents, and educators were recently surveyed to gather ideas for “the perfect app” for mobile learning devices. This article outlines the top ideas:

An app that helps with music education, including music history, works of famous composers, and “songs that kids can jam out to.”
An app that would let kids view videos about school subjects or talk to professionals who use what kids are learning in real life.
An all-in-one app that would incorporate an planner, an information database, and a textbook archive, including a 3-D model viewer.
An organizer with different “folders” showing how the student in doing in each class they’re currently taking as well as student reactions to their own learning experiences.
A game-like interface that allows kids to interact with famous persons from history and share their wisdom with students.

Actually, those sound sort of “do-able,” don’t they! If you’re always wondering, “why didn’t I think of that,” and you’re always on the look-out for that next million-dollar idea, these would be great apps to develop!

… in all your spare time… LOL!

Veterans Day Resources

2011-11-07T09:58:00.001-06:00

Yikes! Where has the time gone? With Veterans Day fast approaching, I probably should have gotten these links out there sooner. Apologies to those who follow this blog regularly – I’ll try to stay a little more up-to-date on these topics in the future.

Here are some sites for teaching kids about the countless contributions made by the men and women in the Armed Forces. But before we get to that… ,

Thank you, Dad, for your service in Korea.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs has produced the video below and a teachers guide to help educate children about the sacrifices made by men and women in uniform.

Tips for teaching kids about Veterans Day, from Military.com.

VetFriends has published a video essay entitled “What do U.S. Veterans Mean to you?”

CNN Video: Remembering veterans who have no one. This is a very moving video covering Calverton National Cemetery’s NOA (No One in Attendance) remembrance service. It will move the strongest person to tears.

The History Channel’s Veterans Hub offers a number of teacher resources and ideas to help kids get involved with honoring our nation’s veterans. We are also reminded that “It’s Never Too Late to Say Thank You.” Below is a History Channel Video on The History of Veterans Day.

Last WWI Veteran on Video

Storming Juno, focusing on experiences of Canadian forces at Juno Beach on D-Day

The Best Websites to Learn About Veterans Day, by Larry Ferlazzo

Help Your Computer Run Faster

2011-11-03T08:18:00.001-05:00

Here’s a great article from Yahoo!s Y!Tech blog, listing “5 ways to make your Windows computer run faster.” These are good tips for both home and school computers:

Run the essentials – Close down programs that you aren’t using (CTRL-ALT-DEL and “End Task” works wonders) and limit the number of programs that automatically start when you start your computer. Read the article for specific instructions, and always ask a technician if you’re not sure exactly what to do.
Fluff not necessary – Uninstall things you don’t use, but DON’T uninstall things like anti-virus, anything in the System folder or Microsoft folder, etc. If you have questions about this when you’re at a school computer, just type the word “support” in a browser window to create and submit a Tech Help Request to schedule an evaluation.
Safe and simple browsing – Internet Explorer and other Web browsers offer you the ability to turn off various “extensions” that are supposed to make your browsing experience easier (blah, blah, blah). My advice: DO IT! Many of these are garbage that just slow things down. All those stinking toolbars are just mucking up half your screen! Kill them by going to Tools –> Add-ons and unchecking the crud you don’t need. …which means most of it…
Timing your anti-virus scans – Here in the District, anti-virus scans are automatic, so you probably don’t have to worry about it. Also, DO NOT install extra anti-virus software on your school computer! You’ll want to avoid running multiple anti-virus programs on the same machine – they can often conflict with one another and bring your computer to a screeching halt. If you have a computer or laptop at home, time the antivirus scans when you’re away or sleeping, etc. (You may have to leave your computer running – depends on the machine & the software.)
Add a physical boost – More memory can often make some older computers run faster, but this is usually best left to a trained technician. This is good advice for a home computer, but NEVER try to fiddle with the memory on your school computer, please!

For more details, please Read the Article on the Yahoo! Y!Tech Blog.

Images from Microsoft Office Clip Art Gallery: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/

Morning Calendar–SMART Exchange

2011-11-02T12:12:00.001-05:00

Elementary Teachers – Here’s a nice resource I stumbled across while looking for a lesson in SMART Exchange.

This Morning Calendar template is a nice way to start your day with students. All of the text and objects are locked, but you can easily unlock them and customize this form for use in the classroom – just left-click! This would be simple to adjust to make a lunch count chart, etc., too.

In the template file you’ll also find a calendar chart, a daily weather chart, and activities for shape recognition, addition, place value, and number words. It’s a great resource, AND IT’S FREE!

Check out SMART Exchange today!

SMART’s EdCompass Nov 2011 issue

2011-11-02T08:33:00.001-05:00

The latest issue of SMART’s EdCompass Magazine focuses on how to use SMART products – and other technologies – to assist learners with special needs, whether you’re a Special Education teacher or a regular education teacher.

There are several great articles inside, including:

Tips for use, including how to fix the dreaded “gray bar” issue
iPad apps to use with students
Ways to use SMART Board technologies to help students with communication disorders
A sampling of pre-made SMART Board activities and question sets for Senteo/Response “clickers” to help diverse learners, available at SMART Exchange

Click to download the free PDF of EdCompass Magazine, November 2011.

Click to view this issue in your browser.

Great Story of High School Sportsmanship

2011-11-02T07:50:00.001-05:00

As November begins, so do the Dark Days of Doldrums in many schools around the nation. Days are shorter. Winter is coming. It’s several weeks until break, and May seems like a lifetime away.

But here in the Midwest, we like to think of ourselves as a tough lot. We’ll get through it… we always do… Even so, its always nice to hear encouraging stories to remind us to pull ourselves up and keep fighting the good fight, teaching kids how to do the right thing whenever the situation calls for it.

So, for those of you who need a little pick-me-up to renew your optimism in the work we do to help students, I hope you’ll enjoy this article as much as I did this morning. It’s a great reminder that there’s more to school than books and computers and homework and tests. In my book, these guys should get an “A” in The Test of Life.

Well done, Gentlemen. Well done.

Teen Rowers give up medal dreams to help capsized foes, by Cameron Smith on the Yahoo! Prep Rally blog.

Image from http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Teen-rowers-give-up-medal-dreams-to-help-capsize?urn=highschool-wp7953

Internet Explorer 9

2011-10-28T13:17:00.001-05:00

Our District Technology Director has informed me that the latest version of our District’s preferred web browser, Internet Explorer 9, will be deployed in the undetermined future. Teachers won’t have to do anything special – it will install in a scheduled update – but that means that one morning you’ll come to school and POOF! It will appear.

Okay… more likely, pooooooooooooooooooooooooooffffffff. <It will likely take a while for your computer to boot up that morning.>

He encouraged me to install it myself and have a look around. Teachers can also upgrade their browser on their own at any time, and many have already done so. (Kudos to you early-adopters!)

To give you a bit of a preview, here’s a quick promo video you may have seen on TV recently… I love the old dial-up modem sound at the beginning… ah, memories…

So what’s REALLY different about IE9 to the casual user? Have a look at this screen shot of the toolbar at the top of an IE9 window:

First of all, I think it really does provide “A MORE BEAUTIFUL WEB” experience! Colors seem brighter, images seem more crisp, there's more space to view the sites, and it seems to run a bit quicker than before. Maybe that’s just the “honeymoon-effect.” We’ll see…
The Menu, Commands, Favorites, and Search bars have disappeared, leaving more screen real estate for viewing Web sites

To bring them back, simply right-click in the space above the tabs and click to check-mark the ones you want
But seriously, do you really NEED a half-dozen extra annoying toolbars? Turn them off by right-clicking as described above and unchecking them. PLEASE!

There’s a bigger Back button on the left, which is nice.
- To go back multiple pages, click-and-hold until a menu appears (or just right-click if you are pressed for time)
- Same thing works for going forward, too.
The Favorites and Settings icons have been shmooshed over to the far-right:

This might take a little getting-used-to for users who do not embrace change easily.
If you bring back the Favorites, menu, and Command bar (see above), it looks like IE8 again, and you can avoid change. But REALLY… where’s the fun in that…?

The Search bar and the Address bar are now one and the same:

To go directly to a Web site, just type in the URL and press Enter on your keyboard. (For us old-schoolers that’s the Return key.)
To search for something, type in the term (-s) you want to search for and click the little magnifying glass icon.
When you upgrade, your default search provider should carry over. But, if you feel the need to change the default search engine to something different, just start typing in the search/address bar. At the bottom of the drop-down menu that appears, you’ll see a button marked “Add.” Click it and you can select a new search engine, like Bing or Google, etc. Follow the prompts and eventually you’ll see the words “Make this my default search provider.” Check the box next to that phrase and click “Add.”
And PLEASE… Stop Googling Google… That rips a hole in the space-time continuum, disrupts the Force, damages the Internet’s flux capacitors, and is a general waste of everyone’s time.

Of course, there are lots more new features, but this should give you a heads-up on some of the basic changes on the surface. Below are some links from Microsoft if you’d like to dive deeper:
Click here to watch the Microsoft video “What’s changed in Internet Explorer 9.”
View other videos about IE9 features.
Discover the features of Internet Explorer 9

25 Free Resources from Discovery Education

2011-10-28T09:14:00.001-05:00

This was posted by David Andrade on his blog at the Tech&Learning website.

Discovery Education offers a number of excellent resources that can assist teachers in their work with kids every day. Here are a few highlights from the full list.

New Teacher Survival Central – see my description of this resource here
Web 20.11 – See my description of this resource here
Toyota Teen Driver
Discovery School Lesson Planner – create & store lesson plans online, and borrow from colleagues who also do the same.
Head Rush – science resources, videos & more
Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators – comprehensive resources on almost any topic at nearly every grade level
Science of Everyday Life
Puzzle Maker – a personal favorite – I used it as a weekly vocabulary study activity!
Discovery Education Parent Resources
WebMath – math help for kids & their teachers
Hub for Teachers (storytelling)
Free Student Resources
…and many more – read the full list!

New Teacher Survival Kit at Discovery Education

2011-10-27T13:10:00.001-05:00

Here’s a link to some great resources to help new teachers adjust to life in a new District. It provides a lot of great advice and suggestions, as well as links to other resources that can help new teachers grow as professionals. Plus, it’s all FREE!

The site is divided into four major parts:

Survival Tool Kit – some basics for everyone
Technology 101 – tips for using tech tools in your classroom
Homeroom HQ – tips for classroom management, parent communication, etc.
It’s Elementary – not just for teachers of the little ones, this part has simple tips to help you get started in your classroom, as well as a reminders of often-forgotten things, like student learning styles, dealing with food allergies, handling bullies, and interacting with parents.

Visit New Teacher Survival Central at Discovery Education

Shahi - A visual dictionary

2011-10-27T11:15:00.001-05:00

Here’s a nice little site for kids who are visual learners:

Shahi is a “visual dictionary” site that combines definitions from Wictionary and images from popular image search engines like Flickr, Google, and Yahoo!

This gives kids both a traditional dictionary-type definition alongside images to help make the definition more concrete. It might a very nice resources for kids who need that visual reinforcement for comprehension.

Clicking on highlighted terms in the definition will open a new Wictionary window, allowing kids to diverge and delve deeper into the meanings of words. Clicking on an image will open the web site where that image is posted.

In our District, Flickr & Yahoo (which uses Flickr for its galleries) are blocked by our filtering policies. Students would need to be coached to use the Google tab, as indicated in the screenshot above, to get the visual support. There is also a drop-down menu to the right of the site’s search window that will allow users to select Google as the default display, and this setting will remain the next time you visit it.

CAUTION! Google’s search engine, for example, allows one can set the “Safe Search Filtering” setting to “Strict” in order to remove any results that might contain inappropriate language or images. I was unable to find any documentation regarding the use these sites’ filtering policies, or if your computer’s current Safe Search settings will carry-over and filter the results you might get through this site. I would therefore suggest kids use this site under direct supervision of a teacher whenever possible or appropriate.

Shahi - A visual dictionary | Blachan Lab

K-12 Tech Tools

2011-10-26T15:08:00.001-05:00

I stumbled across this really great site while looking for resources for teachers earlier this week. It’s called K-12 Tech Tools. It is a warehouse of lots of great resources, organized by subject are, that are free-of-charge for teachers and kids to use.

Don’t be afraid to join the wiki and dive right in – you’ll undoubtedly find lots of great stuff to use in your classroom!

K-12 Tech Tools © - home

20 Things Students Want the Nation to Know About Education

2011-10-25T12:51:00.001-05:00

I found this posted on TechLearning’s TL Advisor Blog recently:

NBC’s Ann Curry recently hosted a panel discussion addressing the experiences of students in schools across the nation. Below is a video of the discussion – get comfy – its about an hour long, but worth every moment.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The TL Advisor Blog summarized the following 20 items from the panel discussion:

I have to critically think in college, but your tests don't teach me that.
We learn in different ways at different rates.
I can't learn from you if you are not willing to connect with me.
Teaching by the book is not teaching. It's just talking.
Caring about each student is more important than teaching the class.
Every young person has a dream. Your job is to help bring us closer to our dreams.
We need more than teachers. We need life coaches.
The community should become more involved in schools.
Even if you don't want to be a teacher, you can offer a student an apprenticeship.
Us youth love all the new technologies that come out. When you acknowledge this and use technology in your teaching it makes learning much more interesting.
You should be trained not just in teaching but also in counseling.
Tell me something good that I'm doing so that I can keep growing in that.
When you can feel like a family member it helps so much.
We appreciate when you connect with us in our worlds such as the teacher who provided us with extra help using Xbox and Skype
Our teachers have too many students to enable them to connect with us in they way we need them to.
Bring the electives that we are actually interested in back to school. Things like drama, art, cooking, music.
Education leaders, teachers, funders, and policy makers need to start listening to student voice in all areas including teacher evaluations.
You need to use tools in the classroom that we use in the real world like Facebook, email, and other tools we use to connect and communicate.
You need to love a student before you can teach a student.
We do tests to make teachers look good and the school look good, but we know they don't help us to learn what's important to us.

To learn more about the 2011 Summit, please visit Education Nation.

- 20 Things Students Want the Nation to Know About Education

Story Something

2011-10-21T14:52:00.001-05:00

Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero shared this nice link for early readers:

Story Something is an interactive web site that could be helpful for some early readers. The site offers a number of short stories for primary-aged readers that users can personalize to include the young readers name and names of those important to the child. The stories contain a few simple but very attractive illustrations, but the focus is on the text. The site is expanding a bit with an area that includes a clickable map, allowing children to feel as though they are reading their way across the United States.

The only real hook is the ability to change the names in the stories. Users still have to scroll up and down to read, which can be a bit annoying. The site works on PC as well as iPad, so it’s not Flash-dependent. The stories themselves are short and sweet, and are a nice mixture of just-for-fun narratives and stories that teach skills & values. But they’re just stories – no interactive assistance, no motion or video, no bells, no whistles. The focus is on the text. …And that’s not all bad, now, is it?

While it’s nothing super-fancy and doesn’t scream “WOW,” for the early-reading K-2 crowd, this site could be a useful way to help students practice their reading skills.

Directory of Approved Education Programs in Illinois

2011-10-20T20:57:00.001-05:00

Image from
http://www.isbe.net/profprep/PDFs/directory.pdf

One of the ways that teachers can renew their certification - and advance on the salary scale - is to take graduate classes and seek an advanced degree or a new area of endorsement. A number of online opportunities exist that might offer teachers more convenient ways to complete this coursework that the traditional method of sitting in a college classroom after school, on weekends, or during the summer months. Teachers should be careful, though. While online opportunities exist for course completion, not all of these are properly accredited or recognized by the State of Illinois as providing appropriate coursework to help students in Illinois classrooms. (Please note: I'm not making judgements, and I'm not naming any colleges or universities, online or otherwise.)

If you are planning to go back to school, please take your time and research your options. Before you commit to a program of study, make sure it is appropriately listed on the Illinois State Board of Education's Directory of Approved Programs for the Preparation of Educational Personnel.

In our District, teachers should also contact the Curriculum and Instruction Department (309-343-1151) for more information and appropriate paperwork.

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms - YouTube

2011-10-13T14:24:00.001-05:00

If you’re an educator and you haven’t seen this video yet, you need to watch this:

Sir Ken Robinson on Changing Education Paradigms, from YouTube

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms - YouTube

Ptable - An Interactive Periodic Table of Elements

2011-10-11T13:08:00.001-05:00

I learned of this site from Free Tech for Teachers.

Ptable is a free interactive periodic table of elements that would be a nice resource for middle grades or high school science or chemistry classes.

Mouse-over an element to enlarge the basic description. Click on the element and by default a window opens with a Wikipedia article about the element. Users can also select to launch videos, web elements, podcasts or photos regarding the elements, instead. Still more information can be found by clicking on the Properties, Orbitals, or Isotopes tabs.

This would work nicely with a SMART Board (although using the mouse-over feature would require an AirLiner/Slate, or some other device or tweaking). Still, it’s value cannot be denied – Ptable is a nifty site!

Free Technology for Teachers: Ptable - An Interactive Periodic Table of Elements

Kleinspiration: Freebie: Homework for Absent Students

2011-10-11T12:49:00.001-05:00

Here’s a great, free resource from Erin Klein at Kleinspiration! (Don’t scoff, secondary teachers – with only mild modification this would work very nicely for the 6-12 crowd, too!)

HWAbsent[1]

Kleinspiration: Freebie: Homework for Absent Students

Digital Cheating

2011-10-11T09:46:00.001-05:00

Netsmartz is an organization that supports Internet safety and media literacy. I have used their materials – which are free of charge – for years, and it is the backbone of our District Internet Safety Curriculum. Educators can also receive free Internet safety teaching materials for school use on the Netsmartz for Educators web site.

Netsmartz sends periodic emails to subscribers called the Netsmartz Five. These messages cover important topics related to Internet safety. Visit the Netsmartz for Educators web site to sign up and learn more. Their most recent email discusses Digital Cheating. Click on the screenshot below to view it as a web page with clickable links.

NetSmartz 5: Digital Cheating

Math Games, Worksheets & Homework Help for Kids, Parents & Teachers. | Game Classroom

2011-10-10T19:27:00.001-05:00

Math Games is a great web site for the “I’m-Done-What-Do-I-Do-Now” crowd, or parents who would like to give their children extra practice and have fun online. Math Games provides fun online learning activities for students in grades K-5. Check it out today!

I found this on Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero

Math Games, Worksheets & Homework Help for Kids, Parents & Teachers. | Game Classroom

Welcome to the Web

2011-10-10T19:18:00.001-05:00

Found this one on Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero

Welcome to the Web is a great site from the U.K. to help kids and adults learn about the Internet and how to use it safely & responsibly use of it.

A nice summary and how-to-use-this-site explanation can be found here.

The site is divided into 6 sections plus a “Welcome to the Web Challenge.” Section titles include:

The Beginning
Getting Started
Staying Safe
Using Your Browser
Searching
Top Tricks
Challenge

Each section except the Challenge has accompanying worksheets to help kids stay on track, and to help teachers track student progress.

This would be a great tool for classrooms that are just starting to get online.

Welcome to the Web

Chess Kid

2011-10-04T13:15:00.001-05:00

I found this site mentioned on Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero

Chess Kid is a great site to help kids learn how to play chess. It contains simply-explained rules of the game, video and text explanations of various strategies, etc. It is also a great resource for teachers, parents, or coaches who would like to incorporate these skills into a Chess club, Weekly Advisory activity, etc. Kids can sign up for a free account to learn the game or track their progress, or they can skip the sign-up process and still access most of the benefits of the site, which appears to be completely free to use.

Chess Kid is a partner of Chess.com, which is also free.

Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero: Chess Kid

Successful Teaching: 10 Tips for Confronting Difficult Parents

2011-10-04T13:01:00.001-05:00

This is a great post from the Successful Teaching blog, though I might change the term “confronting” to “working with” or something a little less… well… confrontational.

Regardless, you’ll find good advice as you prepare for Parent Teacher Conferences here.

The author’s suggestions about focusing on sharing objective information with the parent is vital. Remembering that you are the Professional, they are the Parent, and that you’re both here to help the child be successful, will help both find a compromise that benefits this child. If helping kids is not the focus of the conference, you-the-Professional should redirect the conversation toward working together to find solutions.

Read their list first. Here are some suggestions that could be added to the list:

Accentuate the Positive: A positive, welcoming phone call home early in the year or term can win you lots of points later during the time you spend with the child in your classroom. Parents often complain that they never hear from teachers until after a small problem has become big enough for a conference.
Back It Up With Facts: Save work samples that exhibit your concerns and celebrations, and use these to help the parent understand what you are seeing in the classroom. If these are observational items, start making tally marks on a seating chart, calendar, etc., to show frequency of behaviors that concern you.
Make Sandwiches: No, not literally. “Sandwich” your concerns between positive comments during the meeting. Asking for help from parents and finding out what works well at home will help make a great cooperative sandwich. For example,

I’ve noticed that Johnny loves to read a lot. I notice that he will be reading a book or a magazine when I’m teaching the class, and I’m concerned that he may not be paying attention to the lesson. I’ve marked this on my calendar and it seems to happen at least 3-4 times a week. It’s great that he loves reading so much! <there’s your sandwich, supported with objective data… now follow it up with things from the blog post, like…> I want to help Johnny find a way to enjoy his reading habits at more appropriate times, and I’d really like to build on the foundation that you and his other teachers have built. What kinds of things work to redirect Johnny’s attention at home?

Successful Teaching: 10 Tips for Confronting Difficult Parents

World Teachers' Day 2011

2011-10-03T12:47:00.001-05:00

October 5, 2011, is World Teachers’ Day! This year’s theme is Teachers for Gender Equality. According to the Web site, the teaching profession is still largely dominated by females, many equality issues remain.

The WTD Web site contains many links to resources to help honor teachers across the globe, including downloadable posters in many languages and WTD e-cards you can use to honor your favorite teachers.

World Teachers’ Day is supported by UNESCO and Education International.

World Teachers' Day 2011

Columbus Day Resources for SMART Boards

2011-10-03T11:01:00.002-05:00

Many schools throughout the nation hold school on Columbus Day. In Illinois, Columbus Day is a suggested holiday, but schools that apply for a waiver (Read the law in its entirety: 105 ILCS 5/24-2 Sec.24.2(b) ) may hold school on Columbus Day providing part of the day is spent learning about the contributions made by Christopher Columbus to the discovery of the Americas. These contributions, both positive and negative, are collectively referred to as “The Columbian Exchange” by many textbooks. The National Humanities Center has an excellent essay on the Columbian Exchange, with teaching suggestions.

Last week I blogged about a number of Columbus Day Resources. Here are a few more to add to that list:

SMART Exchange has some great, pre-made SMART Board files that you can download and use with your classroom activities for free. Some are complete with Response(formerly known as Senteo Interactive Response System - those little clicker-thingies) question sets already developed to help you assess students' learning and understanding of your Columbus lessons. Here are some search results by topic:

Many video clips are also available to help with these activities. Click these links to see resources available from The Biography Channel and The History Channel.

Galesburg teachers in grades 6-12 can access LEARN360 for even more.

Web Tools That Every Educator Should Have in the Bag, from Tech&Learning Magazine

2011-09-30T11:09:00.001-05:00

This great post from Tech & Learning Magazine lists a number of free tools that educators can use to help infuse more technology in their instruction. (This was also cross-posted to Ozge Karaoglu’s Blog, which is most-excellent!) Among these tools are:

SafeShareTV – safe video sharing site (like YouTube, TeacherTube, SchoolTube, etc.) that allows you to create an ad-free, nasty-comment-free environment for kids to use video as part of instructional activities.
AdOut – removes ads, banners, etc., from websites to help you avoid inappropriate content and random clicking away from the sites you want kids to use.
Vocaroo – A browser-based voice recorder, with no software to download/install! I still like Audacity far better, but for a casual user who doesn’t want to mess with installing a bunch of software just for one quick project, this could be a nice alternative.
MultiURL – Allows you to create & share short URL links with students. A whole lot less gobbledy-gunk means a whole lot more learning.
Jing – One of my perennial favorites! This screen-recording utility allows you to make a movie of your mouse-movements on-screen and narrate your actions. Great for creating a how-to video or recording your lessons for absent or off-site students.
Twurdy – allows you to search for Web pages based on reading levels that are appropriate for your students. There is also a way to do this with Google.
Howjsay – <sounds like “how do you say” only quicker> This is a free online dictionary with audio pronunciation by actual persons, not a computer-generated “vocalization.” Great for kids of all ages, especially ELL/ESL crowd!
BatLyrics – Safer searching for song lyrics & music videos? Well… sort of… This site is less likely to dump viruses on your computer like some lyrics searches will, but teachers should still pre-screen for language & content that is appropriate to kids at their grade levels.
PlagiarismChecker – copy-and-paste electronic text into the search box to find out if the paper or passages have been plagiarized or not. FREE! There are others out there too – here’s one that’s good, but only allows limited use each day without a subscription.

- Web Tools That Every Educator Should Have in the Bag

Above & Beyond, from The Partnership for 21st Century Skills -

2011-09-27T07:40:00.001-05:00

Found a great inspirational video on The Partnership for 21st Century Skills web site. It offers a nice reminder that (1) a teacher’s way of looking at instruction & assessment isn’t the only way to do things, and (2) kids are capable of amazing things, if we just let them spread their wings. Differentiate, differentiate, differentiate… Enjoy!

Above & Beyond, from The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, reminds us to differentiate student instruction and assessment whenever possible.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills - Above & Beyond

Columbus Day Resources

2011-09-26T14:02:00.003-05:00

This year, Galesburg (IL) District #205 is holding school on Columbus Day. Locally, this has been a somewhat controversial move, but the controversies surrounding an observance or “celebration” of Columbus Day have been around for a great many years. Here are just a few that my classes of 7th graders have struggled with on Social Studies writing assignments and debates:

Should we observe the accomplishments of a man who might be considered one of the most successful failures in world history? After all, he never did reach the <East> Indies at all.
Should we celebrate the man responsible for bringing slavery and diseases that are responsible for wiping out millions of Native Americans in North and South America?
Is it appropriate to lay the blame of genocide, accidental or otherwise, which undeniably followed as a part of the Columbian Exchange, on the shoulders of this one man? Was it instead the entire European society during the Age of Discovery that should bear this responsibility?

All that aside, since many of us are going to be in classrooms this Columbus Day – not just our District, but nation- and world-wide – I thought I’d look for some electronic resources that can help you with your classroom activities. Unfortunately, many perpetuate the old-school promotion of Columbus-the-Hero, but a few take the revisionist Columbus-the-Villain stance. Many would help set up a lively debate amongst your students, expand their world-view, and help them participate in a discussion about global citizenship.

Many of these resources and more can be found on Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day blog, under The Best Online Resources About Christopher Columbus!

Ready-made High School History lesson on Christopher Columbus, by Larry Ferlazzo
Brain Pop on Columbus – This lesson plan has links to a nice but simple explanation of the controversy surrounding Columbus, as well as links to let kids explore the issue and make up their own minds.
- Please note: Brain Pop requires a subscription, in many cases. You can sign up for a 5-day free trial that gets you access to just about everything in the site, but the lesson plan is free, so plan accordingly.
BBC Famous People – Nice interactive Flash site to help kids learn about Columbus. (Sorry, iPaddlers, you can’t see this on your device.) Click on Columbus to begin. Good for the younger crowd.
The History Channel on Columbus – Lots of videos to help explain the topic
Walk The Plank Quiz from SchoolHistory (UK) on Columbus
Columbus Quiz from SoftSchools
Columbus Day from a Native American Perspective (4th-5th grade) lesson plan from Jamie Huggard at Utah State University
Top 10 Things You Should Know About Columbus, from Time Magazine
Is Columbus Day Sailing Off the Calendar? from The Wall Street Journal
Columbus Day, from Wikipedia - note the special section on Opposition to Columbus Celebrations if you plan to hold a debate, etc.
The Journey of Christopher Columbus, from Glencoe
1492 - An Ongoing Voyage, from the Library of Congress
Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Empire, from the University of Calgary (Canada)
The Mariners' Museum on Christopher Columbus

See their Activities for Students and Teachers page, too

Once again, most of these resources and more can be found on Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day blog, under The Best Online Resources About Christopher Columbus! I highly encourage readers to bookmark his site or subscribe to his blog's RSS feed for lots of great links, resources, and ideas!

Thinking Blocks: Model math word problems with virtual mantipulatives

2011-09-25T13:31:00.001-05:00

Here’s an interesting resource from iLearn Technology.

Thinking Blocks is a site that helps teachers and students break down elements of word problems visually and manipulate/interact with them. This looks like a great site to use in a SMART Board- equipped math classroom!

While I haven’t personally testing this site, the iLearn Technology blog always contains quality resources. I’d encourage readers to look into this post for more details.

iLearn Technology » Blog Archive » Thinking Blocks: Model math word problems with virtual mantipulatives

Last WWI Veteran on Video

2011-09-25T13:24:00.000-05:00

Found this link on Free Tech for Teachers.
According to this post, Mr. Frank Buckles, who passed away in February 2011 at the age of 110, was the last surviving US veteran of The Great War. Learn more about his life and experiences below.
This would be a great way to teach kids about the importance of honoring all those who served, on Veterans Day and every day.

Buckles from Sean Dunne on Vimeo.

Buckles on Vimeo

Teachers' Channel - YouTube

2011-09-25T13:08:00.001-05:00

I learned about this new development from Free Tech for Teachers!

According to Richard Byrne at Free Tech for Teachers – You Tube has launched a new channel aimed at teachers and classrooms! Read his post to find out more about YouTube for Teachers! This is a great resource to help you integrate technology and instructionally-appropriate video resources into your classroom!
Teachers's Channel - YouTube

Interactive Civil War Poster

2011-09-25T13:02:00.001-05:00

Another great site from Free Tech for Teachers!

Teaching History offers free posters for History teachers and Civil War buffs, along with a companion interactive Web site to support primary source research.

Free Technology for Teachers: Interactive Civil War Poster

Writing Prompts

2011-09-25T12:52:00.001-05:00

Great tip from iLearn Technology!

writing prompts is a great, simple blog listing visual/text writing prompt ideas for Language Arts (or any other) classrooms! Just click on the pictures to enlarge them to full-screen size. Currently containing around 250 different ideas, this would be a great resource for a SMART Board or projector-equipped writing classroom.

writing prompts

iLearn Technology

5 Ways to Incorporate Football Season into your Classroom Instruction

2011-09-25T11:42:00.001-05:00

Seasonally appropriate ways to “hook” kids into your lesson can be found just about anywhere, if we look carefully and creatively enough. On that note, here is a great “guest-post” on Kleinspiration about how we might blend football season into instruction.

Of course, this former Geography teacher would also look at how teams are distributed across the nation, how they are organized into regional divisions, etc.

And, as a perennial Chicago sports fan, it’s always a nice way to illustrate to kids how we should persevere in the face of difficulty and adversity! Go Bears!

Kleinspiration: 5 Ways to Incorporate Football Season into your Classroom Instruction

Dissection Resources

2011-09-25T11:23:00.000-05:00

As a former middle grades science teacher, I loved introducing kids to the wonderful world of hands-on dissection experiences. However, I also know that a number of students and parents sometimes object to dissecting animals, organs, etc., in the classroom regardless of how valuable these actual experiences are to the student and developing their understanding of anatomy & physiology. (For an overview of many of the reasons parents and students cite in their objections to classroom dissections, see Save The Frogs.) Unfortunately, recent budget crunches have also made a number of science teachers throughout Illinois to take a scalpel to their classroom expenditures instead of their specimens.

So, regardless of which side of the dissection issue you may lean toward, virtual dissection experiences may offer solutions that could help your classroom science activities. A number of online resources exist to offer teachers and students low-cost alternatives to tried-and-true classroom dissection activities. Here are but a few:

KidWings Virtual Owl Pellet Dissection: A great way to introduce kids at earlier grades to dissection procedures and identify bone structures, make hypotheses about habitats, and so on. This is by far one of my favorite digital resources! (My previous post about this site perennially gets lots of hits!)
Froguts: I LOVE THIS ON A SMART BOARD! In fact, an older version of this comes with SMART Notebook software and would work nicely to guide students during a whole-class step-by-step dissection. The newer browser-based demo now offers 3-D rotations of the frog as well. Froguts also offers a subscription-based service that opens up a school's curriculum to other virtual animal and plant dissections, like starfish, squid, fetal pig, peas and more!
Virtual Fetal Pig Dissection from Whitman College (Washington): This browser-based collection of links and Web pages takes students through the steps of dissecting a fetal pig, more common at the high school levels.
McGraw Hill Higher Ed contains several links to virtual dissections, including a virtual frog dissection and a virtual earthworm dissection. While these appear a bit more simplistic at first look, they contain a lot of great step-by-step information for kids, and the technology doesn't substitute for on-site guidance from a teacher and hands-on experience by the student. It is probably better suited as a site to help supplement classroom instruction rather than a complete alternative.
ThinkQuest Salmon Dissection Game: Not sure how much of a "game" this really is, but it is a neat way to work through a fish dissection experience in a virtual environment or to lead a classroom demonstration or whole-class dissection activity.

Free Software Alert: Schools who choose to do so can earn a virtual dissection software package (nearly $900) for free from Save The Frogs, the Animal Welfare Institute, and Digital Frog International, by signing a contract end all animal dissections for 5 years. If that fits in with your school's philosophies and curriculum and your professional point-of-view on the issue, it's hard to beat that price!

Kids Against Bullying, from the PACER Center

2011-09-21T11:44:00.001-05:00

October is National Bullying Prevention Month! PACER’s National Center for Bullying Prevention has a great web site for teachers and teens dealing with bullying prevention. The site includes links to statements of support from teen stars, like Demi Lovato, Hayley Reardon, RJ Mitte, and others. Students can learn bullying resistance skills, sign a petition to support bullying prevention, and play anti-bullying online games, among other activities at the site.

Check out activities and research you can use in your daily lesson plans here: kidsAgainstBullying

GHS Participates in Eratosthenes Experiment

2011-09-20T10:22:00.000-05:00

Galesburg High School Science classes (Ms. Buebe & Mr. Baxter) are participating in the Eratosthenes Experiment this year! This project helps students recreate the experiment conducted by the Greek Mathematician & Father of Geography (he "invented" the concept of latitude & longitude) allowing him to calculate the circumference of the Earth by a series of large-scale geometric measurements & calculations.

While the calculations of Eratosthenes were close-but-not-quite-perfect, we hope that GHS students will find success as they attempt to recreate this experiment!

Math Pickle: Put your students in a pickle encouraging genuine problem solving!

2011-09-20T09:21:00.004-05:00

I learned about this site from iLearn Technology. Please visit the blog for a more detailed explanation.

One of the big concerns I’ve heard expressed about the change in our state from our current Illinois Learning Standards to the National Common Core State Standards is that it will require that we “move” many of the concepts we are currently teaching to earlier grades. This means that Algebra and Geometry concepts, as just one example, will need to be taught to students at ever-earlier grade levels. How do we teach our students ready to think abstractly at such early ages?

Along comes Math Pickle. This Web site offers a number of video-based Math challenges for students at all grade levels (K-12). Some are unsolved/unsolvable problems, some have distinct answers. They all promote grade-appropriate (at least as far as the Common Core Standards might be concerned) Mathematical thinking skills – many with cross-curricular connections – to help stimulate student problem-solving skills in students in your classroom.

For more information, please see: iLearn Technology » Blog Archive » Math Pickle: Put your students in a pickle encouraging genuine problem solving!

Flip Your Classroom and Enhance Achievement

2011-09-20T09:05:00.002-05:00

I learned about this infographic from Erin Klein’s blog, Kleinspiration:

“The Flipped Classroom” is another “Next Big Thing” that has actually been around for a very long time. The concept of the Flipped Classroom is that kids take the lead in creating their own knowledge through activities and exploration that is facilitated by a teacher who functions as the proverbial “Guide on the Side.” However, there’s a 21st century twist – kids utilize increasing amounts of technology to facilitate their exploration and demonstrate or share their learning, as the infographic below illustrates. (Please note the data cited at the bottom as evidence of its effectiveness)

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media
Please visit Kleinspiration: Flip Your Classroom and Enhance Achievement for more information.

NBC Learn Free Resources

2011-09-20T08:55:00.001-05:00

I learned of this site from Lori’s Latest Links. Please visit her site to learn more!

NBC Learn offers a number of free resources to use in your classrooms!

Chemistry Now
Changing Planet
Science of NFL Football
Finishing the Dream: Learning from the Civil Rights Era
Science of the Olympic Winter Games

Please click to visit Lori's Latest Links: NBC Learn Free Resources

Online StoryTime by Barnes and Noble

2011-09-20T08:47:00.001-05:00

I learned of this site from Lori’s Latest Links. Please visit her blog to read more details.

Online StoryTime by Barnes and Noble offers a number of stories and picture books read aloud by authors and other celebrities. According to the Web site, a new (free!) story will be posted each month, with previous postings available for free as well. These would look great on a SMART Board or classroom projector! (Please note the “full screen” button at the lower-right corner of the player window.)

Among the stories currently available are:

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst
Where The Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg
The Mitten, by Jan Brett (The beautiful illustrations look almost as good on-screen as they do in the book!)
And several others!

Check out this and more at Lori's Latest Links: Online StoryTime by Barnes and Noble

iPad App Catalog for Teachers, from TechLearning.com

2011-09-16T12:46:00.001-05:00

For those of you who love iPaddling around the Internet and in your classrooms, here's a great story from Tech & Learning Magzine, listing iPad apps to help teachers and the students they serve.

A Catalog of iPad Apps for Teachers and Students, from TechLearning.com

The Future of Education–TEDxPhiladelphia

2011-09-14T08:39:00.001-05:00

Recently the folks at TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) hosted a conference in Philadelphia focusing on best practices in education. Attendees at these meetings shared some great, thoughtful ideas with visionaries about the past, present, and future of education. Here are some highlights from YouTube:

Dr. Adam Grant on teacher burnout – “Always Wear Dark Suits”

Barbara Chandler Allen – Fresh Artists

Kristen Swanson – EdCamp: Practical Solutions to Invigorate Teaching and Learning

George Moore on Teaching Mindsets

John Hunter on “The next big thing”

Zac Chase – “See Every Student”

Dr. Joyce Valenza – “See Sally Research”

Dr. Stewart Pisecco on Why Behavior Matters

Beloit College Mindset List

2011-09-13T04:42:00.001-05:00

Teacher: Know Thy Students!

Each year, the distinguished staff at Beloit (WI) College publishes a list of ways that the world of their incoming class of Freshmen is different from their own, known as the Beloit College Mindset List. This year's list has been published, and, while it refers to a group of students who has just left the compulsory public education system, it still provides valuable insight on how students and we who serve them differ. Here are some highlights:

And a few of my favorites from the list:

Ferris & Sloane could be their parents
Their school's "blackboards" have always been getting smarter
Amazon has never just been a river in South America
Refer to LBJ and they just might think you're talking about LeBron James
Music has always been available via free downloads
Andy Warhol is a museum in Pittsburgh...

SMART Notebook 10.8

2011-09-06T09:04:00.000-05:00

SMART has done it again. Sure, they push out updates kind of randomly, at least as it appears to the casual user. But THIS POST on the EdCompass Blog shows us that the folks at SMART have been listening to teachers and the world around us all. Here are some things that a recent version (10.7 allows).

Here's what it means for us in the classroom:

If you have an older SMART Board in your room (most of ours are 3 years old or less), it's probably a 600-series (we have mostly 680s), meaning it only allows a single point-of-input. You can use the following upgrades to the software one you've updated:

Flick: You can "flick" objects across a page or screen.
Page Turn: Dragging your finger from left to right across the screen will advance a page; dragging right-to-left will go back a page.
Calligraphic Pen: Now you can turn your handwriting into either typed text or "calligraphy" to dress up your lesson's slides a bit. (Not the best choice for younger learners - stick with typed-text and print for the preK-2 crowd.)

The latest version (v. 10.8) also allows for 3-D content - even on 2-D projectors! Have a look at this video, which shows how to utilize the Google 3D Warehouse using your SMART board.

Future SMART Board installations in our District may allow other features outlined in the video above, and a few of the most recent dual-touch Boards (installed mostly in Special Education classroom during this school year) might allow some of this functionality. We're just learning about this, so bear with us, please.

Currently, the standard "Check For Updates" automatic feature will not get you this version of the software. To update your software to the most recent release, you must re-download the Notebook software package:

Go to the SMART Product Downloads Web Site.
Click "Choose a Version"
Select "SMART Notebook 10.8 for Windows" and follow the prompts to download & install the software.

When prompted, UNCHECK all the boxes next to the Lesson Activity Tool Kit and the Gallery. This will greatly reduce the download & install time. You can run an update later to get the latest content for this version.

This can take a while to accomplish - I'd strongly suggest you perform this operation during a time after school when you're not using your SMART Board with kids and when network traffic is minimal. It is likely to take 20-30 minutes to download, install, and restart.

Constitution Day Resources

2011-09-06T08:31:00.000-05:00

Constitution Day will be here soon!

This 2005 statute requires that schools observe a Constitution Day to recognize the anniversary of the adoption of the United States Constitution, on September 17, 1787. As this date will fall on a Saturday this year, the law provides schools the flexibility to schedule their mandated observance during the week preceding or following this date, as appropriate.

Here are some resources to help you satisfy this federal requirement:

Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government - A simple web site with a comprehensive look at the way the U. S. Government works, from the Government Printing Office.
The Center for Civic Education has a comprehensive Constitution Day Curriculum & Lesson Plan Archive for teachers available free online.
Teaching With Documents: Observing Constitution Day, from The National Archives, has a very comprehensive list of ways to incorporate the use of The Constitution into classroom activities, including these free lesson plans.
National Archives Blog has resources from last year's Constitution Day activities - they're still very appropriate & are still available.
The National Archives Charters of Freedom Interactive Web Site is also a great way to look into The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and The Bill of Rights.
The U.S. Constitution Fun Zone (no, I'm not making that up...) from ConstitutionFacts.com has a number of <ahem> fun quizzes and games to help students and adults alike brush up on their knowledge of government facts and trivia. Hmmm... "government trivia"... <chuckle>
ConstitutionFacts.com's Constitution Day 2011 Web Site also contains links, activities, and lesson plans to assist in the teaching of these important topics.
Scholastic's Constitution Game is an interactive way for kids to show what they know about the constitution and learn a little more while they're at it.

Congress For Kids contains a lot of information for students of any age to learn how our government was founded, how the Constitution was ratified, and how it works.
The Illinois First Amendment Center has comprehensive elementary and secondary curriculum guides and videos available for free (though they are now charging for postage) to all Illinois teachers.

Mini-Grants and Poster Contest Activities are also available on the site to help your classroom get even more involved!
As former facilitator of the middle grades curriculum work, I have copies of the curriculum guides I'd be happy to loan to Galesburg teachers!
We spent a lot of time working up answers to those questions we all get from students about how to responsibly excercise their Constitutional rights concerning the First Amendment's Five Freedoms. This is a nice go-to site when kids raise "those questions" in your classroom.

Of course, there are lots of other Web sites and non-tech-related activities that can also be used to satisfy this law. I just hope this might help out those of us "11th-hour Lesson Planners" (like myself). TCB...

Clean Those Filters, Please!

2011-09-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

Suggestions from the District #205 Technology Department:

The SMART Board projector's air filter is a small but vital part that will help keep your classroom activities running smoothly. Just like the air filter or oil filter in your car, the air filter next to the lens on the projector must be regularly maintained. Please help extend the life of the projector in your classroom by cleaning the filter regularly, and never operate the projector without a clean, dry filter installed!

Every 10 hours or once each week (whichever comes first), when the projector is off, simply remove the filter and gently shake it or blow air across it to help remove dust, dirt, or debris, please. Do NOT rub the filter - this will stretch or break down the foam filter and render it useless. Make sure you re-insert the filter in the same direction it was removed. Once again: Never operate the projector without a clean, dry filter installed.
Once every month when the projector is off, in addition to cleaning it as described above, please remove the filter and hold it under gently running water for a more thorough cleaning. Do NOT rub the filter or use any soaps or cleaning products. Shake any excess water from the filter and allow it to COMPLETELY air-dry before reinserting it. Don't forget: Never operate the projector without a clean, dry filter installed.

If you would like assistance in learning how to perform these simple tasks, or if you have any concerns about using technology tools in your classroom, please submit a Tech Help Desk request by typing the word support into the address bar of a Web browser on your classroom computer.

American Indian Day in Illinois

2011-09-06T08:29:00.000-05:00

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, and Illinois School Code,

The fourth Friday of September is designated "American Indian Day," to be observed throughout the State as a day on which to hold appropriate exercises in commemoration of the American Indians. (105 ILCS 5/27 20) (from Ch. 122, par. 27 20) Sec. 27 20. American Indian day. http://www.isbe.net/ils/social_science/mandates_2.htm

Wives Honoring Husbands, circa 1880
http://www.nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/first_american_art/

This year, state law requires that schools observe American Inidian Day on Friday, September 23. There are countless web sites and other activities that can help satisfy this mandate; here are just a few online resources to help with your school's observance activities:

We Shall Remain, from PBS
PBS also has a Circle of Stories web site devoted to the art of Native American Storytelling. Here visitors can read along as they listen to stories told by Native Americans from various tribal groups.
The United Nations' International Day of The World's Indigenous Peoples was held August 9, and the site has lots of valuable resources
Larry Ferlazzo's Best Folklore & Myths blog post contains links to Native American folklore sites
The National Museum of the American Indian contains a wealth of information.

They have a special list of sites for Language Arts teachers to help with writing and poetry skills.
They also have a site devoted to the American Indians' Responses to Environmental Challenges.
Code Talkers is a great site celebrating one of the many renowned contributions of Native Americans during World War II.

Locally, Dickson Mounds Museum near Havana & Lewistown, Illinois, have great resources for classrooms. They also host incredible field trip opportunities for well-behaved classrooms. (They've had some difficult ones in the past but are still quite willing to host small groups with very close supervision.)
Black Hawk State Historic Site near Rock Island, Illinois, is still holding its own despite recent government funding cuts. Their museum & nature center are not to be missed!

More About Certificate Renewal in Illinois

2011-09-06T04:32:00.000-05:00

I've received a number of hits and email questions on last week's post, Certificate Renewal in Illinois. Here's additional information, in a "Frequently Asked Questions" format:

What are all these CPDU-things I keep hearing about?

Continuing Professional Development Units (or CPDUs) are credits you earn for things like attending various types of meetings or conferences, serving on committees, and the myriad other things that professional educators do. Teachers can also earn 15 CPDUs for each Semester Hour of graduate study completed, so long as these are earned by coursework in an education-related field. CPDU paperwork is usually distributed at the end of a professional development activity. Documentation of coursework, committee meeting agendas/minutes, etc., are required for converting other forms of professional activities to CPDUs. More information can be found here.

How many CPDUs do I need to renew my teaching certificate?

Depends... If you have a Bachelors degree, it's 120 CPDUs, or equivalent college credit hours, etc., every 5 years. If you have a Masters degree, The number of CPDUs needed drops to 80. If you have another advanced degree, the requirement drops to 40 CPDUs. If you hold a Master Teaching Certificate (which means you are National Board Certified), your requirement is 40 CPDUs over 10 years, or renewing your NBPTS Certification. More information can be found here.

What do I do with all these CPDUs once I accumulate them?

Hold onto them and keep them in a safe place! I generally suggest investing in a 3-ring binder and a hole-punch. Most places will not be very happy if you call them up four years after an event and ask them to print and mail you a duplicate, and some may not be able to comply on your timeline. The responsibility of retaining this documentation lies with you! More information can be found here.

Do I have to obtain CPDUs that apply to certain areas?

Yes and No. Your CPDUs can apply to your area(-s) of endorsement, the State priorities of Reading/Writing/etc., INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO TEACHING AND LEARNING (I'm a little biased toward that one...), local School Improvement areas of concern, and so on. However, if you are a Regular Education teacher, a certain percentage must apply to your knowledge & training in serving students with disabilities, etc. More information can be found here.

So I have my required number of CPDUs - now what?

You enter them into the Educator Certification System (ECS) on the ISBE Web site. You must also submit a Statement of Assurance, a Registration Form, and (of course) pay a fee. These can be done at your local Regional Office of Education, too, but they will likely refer you to the Web site anyway. Forms and more information can be found here. Once that's done, you wait for confirmation from the ROE and/or ISBE.

Yeah, but no one really checks on these, do they?

YES, THEY DO! During my nearly 20 years in education, I personally know two teachers in 2 separate districts who have nearly lost their jobs and their teaching certificates for not staying up-to-date on this! Regional Superintendents are supposed to monitor teacher certification issues in their Districts and take action to contact, assist, and, if necessary, remove those who are out of compliance. Don't let this happen to you!

Who do I contact with other questions about Certification or the Certificate Renewal process?

I'll be happy to help all I can, but if I'm stumped I'll call the Regional Office of Education or the Illinois State Board of Education for clarification.

Teaching: The Most Honorable Profession

2011-09-06T01:55:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to Mr. Jeff Houston, Director of Galesburg Area Vocational Center, for bringing this CNN story to my attention.

CNN: West Virginia learns Finland's 'most honorable profession': Teacher

Brightstorm = Free Math & Science Videos

2011-09-06T01:14:00.000-05:00

Brightstorm is a web site I learned about from Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of Cyber Hero. Brightstorm offers free Science and Math how-to videos on a wide variety of high school and middle school topics.

Here's a feature that sets it apart from the rest, though: In addition to arranging the videos by topics like Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, and so on, Brightstorm has also taken a handful of popular textbooks from various publishers and allows users to sort through videos that are cross-referenced by chapter and lesson within each title. Handy!

Absolute Value, from Brightstorm

9/11 Remembrance Activities

2011-09-02T14:08:00.001-05:00

From the SmartBrief on EdTech (via our District Superintendent):

Journalist and author Suzie Boss provides resources for teachers who will be observing the 9/11 anniversary with their students. The National September 11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Center offers multimedia resources and includes a section for teachers, and there are other sites that include interviews about the attacks and writing prompts for students. The Library of Congress American Memory project also has amassed a collection of pictures, songs and writing related to 9/11. Edutopia.org/Suzie Boss's blog

From one of our textbook representatives:

To help elementary students understand the significance of September 11, Pearson is providing for elementary teachers and students a website with:

· White-board interactive timelines and activities

· Each timeline page includes Teacher Support materials, discussion questions and ideas on how to differentiate instruction.

These items can be accessed at www.PearsonRemembers911.com All of these materials are complimentary.

The Center for Civic Education's 9/11 and the Constitution Web Site has powerful activities for secondary school students.

And, my personal Go-To Favorite It-Has-Everthing blog:

The Best Sites to Help Teach About 9/11, from Larry Ferlazzo