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Cool tutorial on how to post bookmarks to blog. One less click for teachers!
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Good article on how to make PD relevant and appropriate for teachers.
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Hilarious video on what Facebook would look like in real life.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Education Articles & Technology Tools 12/03/2013
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Parenting in the Digital Age
Two weeks ago, our school invited Catherine Steiner-Adair, author of The Big Disconnect, to speak to our community about "protecting childhood and family relationship in the digital age". As a new mom, I didn't feel like I needed to start worrying about online safety just yet; after all, my son is only 15 months old. Nevertheless, I was surprised to learn that there are steps I should be taking now that will aid in his development with regard to technology. To be specific, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children between the ages of 0-2 have no screen time, while children from 3-5 have very limited exposure to screens. That seems easy enough, but screens are so pervasive in our lives that trying to limit exposure to them can become a game of hide and seek with one's cell phone. And as we work hard to limit our infants' and toddlers' exposure to screens, what are we doing to help older children? Do we even know how to help them find balance, focus and self-confidence in this digital age? Perhaps start with this.
Recently, the Huffington Post ran an article entitled, Here's What A Constantly Plugged-In Life Is Doing To Kids' Bodies. The article details the ways in which media affect children. But rather than leaving parents feeling hopeless, it offers tangible solutions to each of the problems it mentions. Moreover, it's embedded with links to research on this topic. Still, one article is not enough to help our children navigate the tricky waters of screens and social media. So where to turn? Consider these options. First, subscribe to sites like Common Sense Media and Edutopia. Both offer parents great advice from experts in the fields of technology and education, and each has sections dedicated specifically to parenting and families. Second, familiarize yourself with the technology your children use. Chances are they aren't on Twitter and they probably just think of Facebook as something adults like. But Instagram, yeah, they love Instagram! Want an inside perspective on this, click here and see what it's doing to kids lives. Finally, consider modeling the behavior your wish to see in your children. If you want them to put down their phones, make sure you are doing the same!
Recently, the Huffington Post ran an article entitled, Here's What A Constantly Plugged-In Life Is Doing To Kids' Bodies. The article details the ways in which media affect children. But rather than leaving parents feeling hopeless, it offers tangible solutions to each of the problems it mentions. Moreover, it's embedded with links to research on this topic. Still, one article is not enough to help our children navigate the tricky waters of screens and social media. So where to turn? Consider these options. First, subscribe to sites like Common Sense Media and Edutopia. Both offer parents great advice from experts in the fields of technology and education, and each has sections dedicated specifically to parenting and families. Second, familiarize yourself with the technology your children use. Chances are they aren't on Twitter and they probably just think of Facebook as something adults like. But Instagram, yeah, they love Instagram! Want an inside perspective on this, click here and see what it's doing to kids lives. Finally, consider modeling the behavior your wish to see in your children. If you want them to put down their phones, make sure you are doing the same!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Common Sense Media Makes Sense
If you haven't perused Common Sense Media's site yet, take a few minutes to do so. As a parent and educator, I am blown away by the resources they provide to their audience. Their "Best of . . ." lists provide age appropriate recommendations for games, movie, apps, websites, books and more. The corresponding blog, Making Sense: Parenting, Media and Everything in Between also offers a plethora of timely articles on newsworthy items. And for educators looking to incorporate digital citizenship lessons into their curriculum, there is a wonderful scope and sequence with accompanying lesson plans. Take a look!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Prezi: A Spicy Version of PowerPoint
If PowerPoint is a merry-go-round, then Prezi is a roller coaster. It zooms in, it zooms out, it zips here, there, spins upside down and after it's all done, your hair is standing straight up and you're back at the beginning. That metaphor is not meant to detour you from using it, but rather to excite you about how your students will experience Prezi presentations. Let me give you one more example of how Prezi operates. If you are a Google Earth user, think of how you start off looking at the Earth from outer space. You type in your address and before you know it, you are hurdling toward your home at breakneck speed, stopping just above your roof. From there you decide to type in Nice, France (because you've always wanted to go to the south of France. You zoom across the country and over the ocean to land on the French coast. Now translate that experience to a presentation.
To learn how to use Prezi, I recommend watching the video below. (Set aside about 30 minutes to watch and do.) Jen Johnson, the instructor, is very detailed, but you get a wonderful sense of how to use all of the tools in Prezi without feeling overwhelmed. Make your own Prezi as your watching the video; just pause it after each instruction and try the tool for yourself. By the end, you'll have your first presentation completed. Just remember, when you display your presentation, change the display setting in System Preferences to 1024 x 768 for a 4:3 ratio.
For more tips and tricks on Prezi, check out Dan Steer's blog post "The Best Prezi Tips I Found Today".
**If you embed your Prezi then make sure the embed code is https not http. Did you get that? Add an S.
To learn how to use Prezi, I recommend watching the video below. (Set aside about 30 minutes to watch and do.) Jen Johnson, the instructor, is very detailed, but you get a wonderful sense of how to use all of the tools in Prezi without feeling overwhelmed. Make your own Prezi as your watching the video; just pause it after each instruction and try the tool for yourself. By the end, you'll have your first presentation completed. Just remember, when you display your presentation, change the display setting in System Preferences to 1024 x 768 for a 4:3 ratio.
For more tips and tricks on Prezi, check out Dan Steer's blog post "The Best Prezi Tips I Found Today".
**If you embed your Prezi then make sure the embed code is https not http. Did you get that? Add an S.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Lists for me, lists for you, lists for two
Two work flow apps that I have begun to use to track my work are Workflowy for tasks that I need to get done and Azendoo for tasks that I need a group of people to get done. Both are appropriate for middle school students, though they will need to create accounts.
Workflowy is great for the person who finds himself/herself writing out lists of things to do at home and at work. Keep them both in the same place and then embed lists within lists. Does this sound like a Type A person's dream come true? It is! Sync between your computer and phone. Get daily updates on what you've done and what you still have to do. Watch the demo video below, sign up and start making lists.
As for Azendoo, here is a great way to break up group projects into small tasks assigned to specific group members. You can set due dates, sync with other mobile devices, and link work to apps like Evernote, Dropbox and Google Docs. All parties can be held accountable and work becomes transparent when everyone is working via collaborate apps. To learn more about how you and/or your students can use Azendoo effectively, visit the help page for answers to your questions. To get a visual sense of how this software can be helpful, watch the promo video below. Other tutorials exist on YouTube.
Workflowy is great for the person who finds himself/herself writing out lists of things to do at home and at work. Keep them both in the same place and then embed lists within lists. Does this sound like a Type A person's dream come true? It is! Sync between your computer and phone. Get daily updates on what you've done and what you still have to do. Watch the demo video below, sign up and start making lists.
As for Azendoo, here is a great way to break up group projects into small tasks assigned to specific group members. You can set due dates, sync with other mobile devices, and link work to apps like Evernote, Dropbox and Google Docs. All parties can be held accountable and work becomes transparent when everyone is working via collaborate apps. To learn more about how you and/or your students can use Azendoo effectively, visit the help page for answers to your questions. To get a visual sense of how this software can be helpful, watch the promo video below. Other tutorials exist on YouTube.
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