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Great videos for explaining abstract concepts with tangible drawings.
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Free math resources with some decent looking lessons that can be sorted by grade level or concept.
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Create interactive visuals for class projects.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Educational Resources and Tech Tools 12/05/2013
Parent CATIE 12/3/13
Yesterday, Chandler School hosted its third Parent CATIE (Conversations About Technology In Education) forum. As a school with a one to one laptop program, we seek to educate all members of our community in the best uses of technology. To that end, we invited parents to join us for a session on safety and social media. We opened the session with a light-hearted video of Louis CK discussing the overwhelming urge to use technology because you can! We then moved into a survey where we asked the parents to think like their children and answer four questions on how kids use social media. We then compared the responses of the parents with those of the students. Turns out, parents do know their kids! Based on the information provided to us by the students, we then went over how to set safety filters on YouTube and discussed how children, and teens in particular, are using SnapChat and Instagram. Below is material we covered with links included.
Social Media Tips
Social media safety
YouTube
5 Ways to Keep YouTube Safe and Fun for Kids
- Enable YouTube Safety Mode
- Use Internet Filters
- Keep the Computer Public
- Speak With Your Kids
Snapchat (for use on mobile devices only)
- Sexting information via Common Sense
Instagram
- hashtags (#somuchfun)
Social Media Tips
Google Cultural Institute
The Google Cultural Institute is an amazing collection of images and documents curated by leading institutions around the world. The have partnered with Google to help bring these amazing works, some of which never see the light of day in their own facilities, to a global audience. Whether you teach history, art or math, there is something in here for everyone. The two videos below give an introduction to the online institute.
The first video will make you want to use the site.
This second video explains some of the wonderful offerings put forth by the Google Cultural Institute.
The first video will make you want to use the site.
This second video explains some of the wonderful offerings put forth by the Google Cultural Institute.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Education Articles & Technology Tools 12/03/2013
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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.
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!
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