Lucidchart: Charts/Mindmaps/Graphic Organizers free for Schools with Google Apps

Lucidchart recently partnered with Google Apps and is now offering free accounts to schools with Google Apps domains. (A Google Apps admin can request an upgrade here).

 Here at Saucon we just added Lucidchart to both our student and teacher accounts. What follows is just a brief overview of some of the features available with this app.

Lucidchart allows you to create a variety of diagrams, flowcharts, and graphic organizers online. The interface is fairly easy to learn and there are a great variety of tools that you can use. Lucid chart also includes numerous templates including:

• Venn Diagrams
• Compare and Contrast Charts
• Essay Sequencing Charts
• Five W's Chart
• Interactive Periodic Table
• Persuasion Map
• Research Paper Outlines
• SWOT Analysis
• Timelines

You can also create iOS (iPhone & iPad mockups easily.  The uses in the classroom are quite limitless.

Once you create your diagram it can be stored in your Google Drive seamlessly.  Lucidchart also allows export as a PDF or image file (JPEG and PNG), and publication to a view only website. Click here for my diagram of the classic Blue Grass tune "I am my own Grampa."

One of the best things about Lucidchart is the realtime collaboration as well as the ability to share documents with teams that you create.

At Saucon you can access Lucidchart from any Google Apps page (mail, docs, etc.) by clicking on the "More" link at the top of the page and selecting Lucidchart.

Below are a few useful tutorials for using Lucidchart.

Graphing Stories

Looking for a quick way to practice graphing with your students? Check out the new site Graphing Stories from everyone's favorite math teacher Dan Meyer and BuzzMath.com.  Graphing stories is a collection of 15 second videos that students can watch and then graph. (You can even download the graphing paper from the website)  It's a great way to show the connection between math and the world.

Google Forms and The Election

I have no shortage of love for Google Docs, including the amazing Google Form. There are just so many potential classroom uses. I wanted to use this post to highlight just one example of how Google Forms can be used to create engaging, authentic learning experiences for students.

Students at Saucon Valley High School used Google Forms to run an election simulation and take exit polls. Government students created the election form which included an "exit poll."

After watching a debate where students presented the candidates stance on issues that had been selected by students, the entire student body was allowed to vote. Voting took place in the library with students checking in with "poll workers". Laptops were set up with the ballot/poll in full screen mode.





Statistics students worked with the government students to develop the "exit poll" questions so they would provide meaningful data that could be analyzed after all the results were in.  Google Forms provide great real time graphical results (as seen to the left and right) students will be analyzing these results to see if they can spot any trends.

What I liked best about the use of technology in this activity, is that it was incredibly easy to implement, and provided meaningful results for the students. This is a great example of how real world technologies are helping students in the classroom learn how to be the leaders of tomorrow.

PiktoChart: Create Great Infographics for Free

I've been looking for a free infographics tool for a while now. Infographics are visual representations of data that beautifully combine graphic design and statustics. Just this past weekend I stumbled upon PiktoChart.

PiktoChart promises to allow you to create a great looking in just 30 minutes.  So I gave it a shot, I created this in about 5. Considering I didn't use any factual statistical data, I'd say a real one could definitely be created in less then 30 minutes.

The key to creating successful infographics in a real understanding of the underlying data.  Students must gather the information and then analyze the data and finally create a visual representation of the data the helps the reader understand the information presented.  This process really promotes the higher order thinking skills.

Students can create great infographics at any level K-12 and in any curriculum. Here are just a few examples.

Math: Since infographics are all about visualizing data, there are countless uses in the math classroom.

Social Studies: Create an infographic comparing and contrasting any two events in history, or the political parties, or social eras.

Science: Students who are climate change can create infographics to represent the current trends.

Elementary: As a get to know the class activity students can survey classmates about things they like and do and then represent that information on an infographic.

Language Arts: Character studies are a great way to use infographics.

These are just a few ways that infographics can be used in the classroom, the possibilites are limitless.



Here is a great video on using infographics as a creative assessment. This video uses several other tools to create infographics, but with PiktoChart you can really save time on the creation side of the activity.

FastFig: Cloud Based equation solving and sharing

FastFig is a cloud-based tool for solving and sharing equations. The user interface is simple and easy to get started with, and for that reason, it makes an ideal tool for the classroom.  FastFig can be used for basic calculations, algebraic manipulation and even calculus.  This versatility makes FastFig a great tool for students to grow into as they progress in their studies.  

FastFig is a great tool not just for the math classroom, but for science as well. In a recent demonstration I learned how easy it is to use Fast Fig for calculating the cooling rate of a cup of coffee using Newton's  Law of Cooling.  What was great is that while FastFig did the calculations, the student really had to understand the equation, and all the variables, in order to find a proper solution.  

In addition to raw calculation power, FastFig makes it easy to share equations with the rest of the world with one click of a button. This means that students can work together to piece together more complex mathematical.   For teachers this means that you can post examples for your students that can be accessed and used by just following a URL.  

FastFig is currently in Beta and you can sign up for free at http://www.fastfig.com/newuser/

I would love to hear how you can use FastFig in the classroom. Please leave your comments below.

Discovery Streaming

All Saucon Valley teachers can access Discovery Streaming by creating an account with the codes found here.

Discovery Streaming is a great resource for video content that you can use in your classroom.  Below you will find a printable guide to Discovery Streaming that shows you step-by-step how to make the most of this great resource including:

• Saving Content to My Content
• Assignment Builder
• Quiz Builder
• Writing Prompt Builder
• Lesson Plan Center
• Common Core Standard Links

This video will show you everything you need to know about making the most out of Discovery Education Streaming in your classroom.

TED-ed | Lessons Worth Sharing

I have been a huge fan of TED for a while now. It's a great place to go for inspiration, and a way better way to spend my video watching time than browsing videos of cats on YouTube.  TED is a conference that brings experts in their field to the stage to present, in just 18 minutes, the "Talk of Their Lives."  Though originally started with talks that focused on Technology, Entertainment, and Design [TED], the talks have expanded to include such diverse issues as global issues, psychology, food, and education.    TED has expanded from two conferences annually, to global events, and has inspired hundreds of TEDx partner events.

The most recent edition to the TED lineup is TED-Ed. TED-Ed is a website that allows you to create lessons around TED talks. Using the idea of the "Flipped Classroom" TED presents a video and then guides students through questions that progress from simple understanding to more in depth analysis.  Teachers can easily take pre-created lessons and modify them for their students. They can then share the lesson for their students to complete. TED-Ed tracks student completion and allows the teacher to review student answers.

Here is a quick "Flip" that I created in about 2 minutes using TED-Ed.

"The 8 Traits of Successful People"

All you need to do to start using TED-Ed is sign up for a free TED account (something you should have anyway to help you keep track of your favorite TED talks).  The Ted-Ed website has a useful video that guides you through how to create your first lesson.

In addition to TED talks, the site has lessons created for TED-Ed by top educators and animated by professional animators that you can use as a Flip.  At present the collection is a little limited, but I am sure that it will grow quickly with quality content. You can help the collection grow by nominating a top educator here.

Socrative: Student Response System

Socrative Teacher/Student is a free set of apps that allows for quick formative assessments using mobile devices.  The App also works on any web browser so it could be used on laptops as well.

The simple guide below will get you started using Socrative in short time.

1. Download Socrative Teacher onto your mobile device, or go to t.socrative.com. This will open up the teacher console. Below is a screen shot of the teacher console on an iPad.

2. Create a free teacher account and log into your room.

3. Students will download Socrative Student or go to m.socrative.com and enter the Room Number to join the class. No account required!

4. Start using Socrative!

Single question activities can be Multiple Choice, True False, or Short Answer.  The device acts only as a way to record answers for these activities. The teacher needs to say the question orally, write it on the board, or project it for students.  Responses are recorded automatically and will be displayed on the teacher's device.  A really interesting feature is the ability to do short answer responses and then have students vote on their favorite short answer response.

Multiple Choice Responses

Teachers can also create quizes under the "Manage Quizzes" tab.  Quizes will display questions and multiple choice options on student devices.  Quizes can also be shared with other teachers.

A fun feature is the "Space Race" where students can compete to answer questions correctly. The teacher can project the race so students can watch their Space Ships competing against each other.

Using Socrative as en exit ticket is another great way to check for student understanding of the lesson.  You can use the pre-formatted exit ticket or create a quiz that you call "exit ticket" with your own questions.


Student responses can be downloaded or emailed, making it easy to track student progress.

Overall Socrative is a great tool, particularly for those schools with 1:1 devices.  If you have ever used Socrative in the classroom, please share any creative uses in the comments section.

Google Drive iOS update: it's great!

Those of us who love Google Docs/Drive and iPads have long lamented that the two don't play well together.  An update to the Google Drive App is finally beginning to make that friendship a reality. Here is a quick overview of the top four new features.

Edit Google Docs within the App:

You can now edit Google Docs from within the Drive App. The lack of this functionality made the App virtually pointless before.  Shared Docs can be edited in real time and you can easily see who is editing the doc with you. Unfortunately the editor still lacks an integrated chat and does not have the full functionality of browser based Google Docs.  Most notably lacking is the comment feature that teachers love.

Create a new Google Docs within the App:

Now you can create a new Document, and also a new folder, right in Google Drive. Since you have always been able to control sharing within Google Drive there is no need for a computer to create and share your Google Docs.


Import Photo or Video:

Another great new feature is the ability to import directly from the camera roll.  This is great particularly for those teachers who want to use iMovie for students to create video project. Previously it was difficult for students to share their work without using Social Media sites or several Apps.  Now they simply save the video to the Camera Roll and upload it to Google Drive.


Keep your Google Drive Organized:

Google Drive now allows you to keep your files organized from within the App. You could always rename your documents, but now you an move them from one folder into another.

For now you can not edit Google Spreadsheets or Presentations from within the app. You also cannot convert .docs to Google Docs format from within the App. There is still plenty more functionality that I would like to see Google add, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

As more and more Apps add the functionality to export to Google Drive we may actually see Google Apps and and iPad becoming a great educational team.

Class Dojo: Free Classroom Management Tool

I recently ran across a great new classroom management tool for teachers called Class Dojo.  Class Dojo allows you to reward positive behaviors and keep track of negative behaviors in real time.

The interface is exceedingly simple. Simply sign up for free as a teacher, then create a class.  My imaginary class has four students as seen below. You can choose from their avatars or upload your own.

Next, create a list of positive and negative behaviors.  You could also create a list of tasks students need to complete and track these as well. 

Once a class is up and running you just click on a students avatar and then select from positive or negative behaviors.

Clas Dojo will record your selection and keep a running tally for each student. Once class is over you can run reports on an entire class or on individual students for selected time periods.

These reports can then be emailed to parent. (A feature to save the reports as a .pdf is coming soon according to the site).

You can also email a secret code to students or parents so they can go on to Class Dojo at home and check their progress at any time!

Last, but definitely not least the mobile Class Dojo site  (http://mobile.classdojo.com) allows you to use your iPhone, iPad, or other mobile device as a class remote to easily track student behavior as you walk around the classroom.  

Cover-It-Live Teacher Accounts

Cover-it-Live no longer is providing ad-supported free accounts! I have been advocating the use of this tool for the past couple of years as a free resource for teachers who would like to run a moderated back-channel in their classroom.  Back-channeling is a great way to promote classroom discussion, particularly while viewing films.

While there are many other resources one can use to back-channel in the classroom, I love Cover-it-Live because it can be embedded on any website, you can moderate content, and you can set up questions, polls, images, etc. for students to respond to ahead of time.  All of these great features make Cover-it-Live far superior to  other back channeling methods in my opinion.

Luckily, one of my teachers who has been using back-channeling effectively in her History in Film course discovered that Cover-it-Live has not abandoned those teachers who have been using this tool in the classroom. If you go to the bottom of the pricing page you will find a link to click on to request a free teacher account!!!

Thank you so much Cover-it-Live for continuing to support education professionals.

Google Docs' New Research Tool: A Review for Teachers

About a week ago a new feature showed up in the my Google Doc, the research tool. The first two days I couldn't get it to work properly, still not sure if that was our school's web filter of the tool itself, but now that I have had some time to play with it I thought I would review and share.

What is it, and how do I use it?

The research tool basically allows you to do mini-research inside of a Google Doc. No need to open another tab on your browser in order to look more in depth into something. In order to bring up the research tool you simply select the relevant text, and then you can either right-click and select "research tool", select the feature from the "Tools" menu (right above "define"), or use the keyboard shortcut [command-option-r (mac); cntrl-option-r (pc). If you want to search something that is not already in your document just use the options above without highlighting anything and a blank research box will appear.

After you make your selection you will see a pane pop up on the right hand side of the screen (in the same area as the chat feature).  Google will research the web, images, scholar and quotes from within this pane directly in Google Docs. You can chose to have all four shown at once or drill down to just the results you want.

This image shows the Web results that I got when researching the term "discount rate" in my document.  I had selected to search all four of the options so you can see the thumbnail images at the bottom of the screen shot.


My review:

While at first glance offering nothing more earth-shattering than saving you the time of opening up a new tab to do your research, there are some real benefits to in-document search.

For example, you can easily drag and drop images from the thumbnails in your research pane into your document.  Once inserted into your document, Google Docs automatically creates a footnote with a link back to the original source. If you do not change the settings, the image search feature will allow you to add some copyrighted images (for example my search yielded results from Cartoon Stock) to your work. Google, however, is taking some steps to protect image copyright. You can adjust the settings of your image search to bring up only images that are "free to use, share, or modify, even commercially." Do do this you need to bring up the search pane without highlighting any terms or just search a blank box. This will bring you to settings where you can set the image search to filter based on image rights.  There are even instructions on Google's research tool help page on how to make a report if you believe there is a copyright violation issue.

For Web searches, hovering over a result in the research pane will provide the user with a set of options including preview, insert link, and cite.

The preview function brings up another narrow pane that provides a minimally legible preview of the webpage source. This can be useful in making a quick determination of the utility of a result. The insert link is a great way to save any research that you have done to your document. I can imagine a student conducting initial research on a topic right from google docs, quickly gathering and sorting resources for later review by using the preview and insert link features.  If you follow a link to a web result and end up using the information, you can easily insert a footnote citation at the bottom of your document by just clicking on the "Cite" button with your cursor directly after where you placed the relevant information.

Google Scholar will search for scholarly articles that are available online and provide you with a title of the articles as well as a link to read the PDF and a link to articles that cite the article listed!  Once a student reads the article and determine that they are going to use the information contained therein, they can easily add a citation to the document (useful for the Works Cited/Bibliography) or they can insert a footnote into the document. Google allows for citations to be inserted in MLA, Chicago, and APA style.

When you search for quotes, the research pane will show you the text of the relevant quote as well as the author of the quote. Hovering over each quote will show you the source of the quote as well as bring up the insert button.  When you click "insert" the text and author of the quote will be inserted into your document and a footnote with the source will be created.

Note that here I was researching "Money" since a search for quotes with "discount rate" returned no results. In order to change my search terms I did not have to find the word money in my document, I could simply type the term into the research box once it is on my screen.


Conclusion:


The research tool is way more than just a fancy new tool. It can be a great addition to a student's research skills toolkit.  The research tool makes it simple for students to find great information and more importantly to cite the sources of their information.

Google Docs Hidden Gem - The "Define" Tool

Just last week I noticed a little hidden gem in Google Docs that I wanted to share with everyone. I have no idea how long the feature has been available could be years for all I know, but I never noticed it before.

Under the "Tools" menu just above "Word Count" is "Define."  (You can also access this feature by selecting "command-shift-Y" [Mac] "control-shift-Y [PC] keys on your keyboard)

Doing so will bring up a pop up dictionary window that includes definitions, synonyms, and search results from the web.  This feature works not only in English but also in, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

This is a great aid for students who can quickly check to see if they are using a word properly.  It's also great to have quick access to an online thesaurus. Yet another great feature in Google Docs. It just keeps getting better.

Why you must attend an EdCamp

Two years ago I was lucky enough to notice some Twitter chatter about a free "un-conference" called EdCamp Philly.  It took about 15 seconds on the EdCamp Philly website to decide that this was an event that I just had to attend. So I got my free ticket, lined up a babysitter, and headed into Philly not knowing what to expect.

For those of you who have never been to an EdCamp, or even heard of EdCamp all I can say is that you must attend one. It is hands down the best professional development opportunity you will ever have.  EdCamps follow the un-conference model, meaning that it is a participant driven conference.  Anyone who gets their name on the session board can present and you can attend any of the sessions that are offered. Don't like a session, just get up and walk out and find another that interests you.  Have something to say, sign up on the session board.

I have found that unlike the talk-at-me model used by most traditional conference presenters, EdCamp sessions are more like dialogues guided by the presenters. Past EdCamp session that I have attended included a dialogue about a modern one room schoolhouse concept, a session on the need for grading, a discussion about the proper role of technology in the classroom, presentations on how to create student motivation, hints and tips on how to use mobile devices as learning tools in the classroom, and so many more.

As educators we have often felt alone, isolated in our classrooms, trying to figure out the best way to help our students succeed.  EdCamps remind us that we are part of a larger community, all dedicated to the same goal.  I have met so many great teachers and administrators at the four EdCamps that I have attended.  They are all part of my personal learning network now.  In fact, I was so inspired after my first EdCamp experience in Philadelphia three years ago that I joined with a group of new friends and worked to bring EdCamp to NYC later that same year.  I am hoping this year to start EdCampLV (Lehigh Valley) to bring the experience a little closer to home for those of us in the greater Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton area.

So as I look forward to attending this years EdCamp Philly on May 19th I hope that many of you who are reading this will chose to join me. You will not regret giving up a Saturday afternoon to immerse yourself in great conversations with creative, passionate teachers.  For a list of upcoming EdCamps around the world, you can check out the EdCamp Foundation Wiki.  There are over 30 EdCamps scheduled at this time in over 6 countries, including EdCampNYC on May 5th.   Make sure that you attend at least one, as the EdCamp slogan says.... Learn. Unlearn. Relearn.

What does Google know about you?

Google has released an interesting new feature in the wake of the high profile change to their privacy policy.  Google Account Activity will email you a report of your monthly activity across varios Google products. Google states on the opt-in page that the report will include such data as how many emails you have sent, your top searches, how many people have viewed you YouTube videos, etc.

Account Activity is still in Beta, but you can sign up here.  Since the report is run monthly I have yet to receive my first. I will definitely write up another post when I get it. 

Understanding what data is being tracked on line is a good step in understanding just how far your digital footprint reaches. It would be interesting to have students sign up for the report and discuss the results as a class.

Just how much does Google know about me? I can't wait to find out. 

Remind 101: Quick and easy student reminders

Remind101 is a great free tool for communicating with students and parents.   Schedule and send SMS text messages and emails directly from your computer.  Remind101 is safe in that it keeps student and teacher phone numbers private. Students and parents can join simply by sending a text message, no computer needed.  There is also the option of subscribing to messages via email.  Create up to 10 separate classes, great for use with clubs too!

It is simple to create a free account, print out instructions for your class, and start sending out reminders... you can even schedule reminders to be sent at a future time.

QR Codes review game

Using QR Codes (those little black and white symbols popping up everywhere) and Google Presentations I was able to create a quick, fun, outdoor review game for my class yesterday.  All you need is about 1/2 your students to have smart phone (in my class about 80% did), a little creativity, and some good weather. Sure, you can do this inside too, but it was great to be outside without a jacket in March!

Step 1: Create your questions.

To start you need to create your questions online somewhere. QR Codes can show plain text, so if your questions are simple you can just type them into the QR Code generator. I wanted to include graphs and pictures, so I decided to use a Google Presentation that I had made public and published to the web. I then grabbed the published URL to use for my QR codes.  With the Google Presentation I had the added benefit that I could include multiple, related questions from one QR code.  Example Question

Step 2: Generate your QR Codes. 

I use Kaywa QR Code generator, but there are lots of other free online generators that allow you to download and print the code. 

Step 3: Print out your QR Codes and post them around.

We've been enjoying some unseasonably warm weather so I took my students out into the courtyard and hung the codes up around randomly. Of course, you could do this in a classroom, but with a larger space and the fresh air it made it more fun!

Step 4: Get to answering questions.

I had the students download a free QR reader of their choice (they are available both for Android and iPhone), pair up with someone else, grab a notebook and start scanning.  They answered the questions in their notebook. 

Although the "game" really was nothing more than a lot of questions that they had to answer, the students were much more engaged then they would have been with just a sheet of review questions to answer because they were able to have a little fun with it.  I also threw in a couple of QR Codes with "silly" links to funny videos, etc. just to keep things interesting. 

There are lots of ways that this can be adapted quickly and easily in just about any classroom. 

e-Pub Bud - Free online E-Pub book creator

Many schools are getting iPads in their classrooms today, and here is another great way to use them. Using E-Pub Bud students can easily create interactive digital books using their own pictures, artwork, and words.  E-Pub Bud allows you to upload content and convert it to e-Pub format or create your content directly on the site. You can even incorporate sound (imagine students reading their own book) and video.  The free books you create can be downloaded or shared online.  Teachers could also use this free tool to create their own books for class.

e-Pubs are a digital book format that allows you to embed images, movies, and sound. You can play e-Pubs on your Mac or PC using software like Adobe Digital Editions, but they were really meant to be read on a tablet device. E-Pubs in your i-Tunes library can be directly synced to your iPad, for Kindle Fire, you will need to use a converter like Calibre (See directions here)

Here are a few public examples from ePub Bud

How My Implant Changed Me by Aidan - read the free ebook now from ePub Bud!

Super Teacher Tools

I stumbled upon a very simple, easy to use website the other day, and thought I should share it with our staff.

Super Teacher Tools has a variety of free, online tools to use in your classroom. The one that I have been using is the Group Maker.

Group Maker makes it simple to import your class list and then general random groups of any size you want. It even saves your classes for your future group creation needs. This free tool is a real simple time saver.  Once you create a class, they will email you a link to your class so you can easily re-group the class in the future. The online tool creates simple chart that you can save or print out.

Google Reader & Original Comments Chrome Plug in = Easy Assessment of Student Blogs

So you want to get your students blogging and commenting on each others blogs, but the thought of checking every blog for new posts and comments is stopping you.  Using Google Reader and and the Chrome Plugin "Original Comments for Google Reader" you can easily read through all the student posts and comments right from the Google Reader screen.

Google Reader allows you to subscribe to Blogger feeds (and other RSS feeds) all on one page, bringing student posts directly to you.  Check out this easy setup guide from Google.

Usually, Google Reader only gives you the posts, and you have to go directly to the Blog in order see comments. With the Original Comments for Google Reader plugin for Chrome you can add comments to your Google Reader feed.

To install Original Comments for Google Reader click on this link while in Chrome. 

Note: In order for the comment drop-down feature to function, you must be in the "list view" of your Google Reader. In order to select "list view" click on the following icon in the upper right corner of Reader. 

Make giving and grading exams easier with Moodle & Safe Exam Browser

Moodle allows you to create exams that students can take online. Questions can multiple choice, matching, short answer, essay, numerical, etc.  Many of these can be graded easily and quickly by the computer providing students with immediate feedback, and allowing you to quickly assess student progress. Even grading and commenting on essays is easier when you don't have to interpret handwriting.

The drawback in the past had been that when taking an exam on the computer there were concerns over student access to outside information. Now, with Safe Browser, you can:

•  block access to other websites
•  block the copy & paste function
•  block access to other programs on the computer

When you create an exam in Moodle you can make it so that students can only access the exam if they use Safe Browser.  This paired with the ability to make the exam only accessible in school makes giving online tests safe and easy.  

For more information on Safe Exam Browser check out their website.

In Moodle 2.0, once your admin has enabled the feature (which we have)  you can make exams only accessible if students are using the Safe Exam Browser. This option can be accessed under the exam settings:

If you would like to use this feature and would like further training please contact me. 

Google Science Fair

All students ages 13-18 are invited to participate in the Google Science fair. You may compete as an individual or in teams of two or three.


For science teachers Google provides resources including posters, lesson plans, and activities to help you incorporate the Science Fair as part of your curriculum.

Student prizes include:

• National Geographic Expedition to the Galapagos
• $50,000 scholarship for college
• Experience with Lego/Google/CERN

For more information, including the details of how students can enter and a complete list of prizes and rules, see the Google Science Fair website.

Why you should be Tweeting.

What is Twitter? Twitter is microblogging. What does that mean? That means I can say what I want to the whole world for free as long as its under 140 characters.

So why am I so adamant that all teachers should be using Twitter? Because it is simply the most powerful, useful, free PD you can find.

Here are 5 reasons that you can start using Twitter today:


1. Use is as a great resource locator. Hashtags let you find great resources on a topic that interests you. A few of my favorites are:
       #edtech - Ed Tech conversations
       #edchat - Education conversations
       #elemchat  - Elementary Ed conversations
       #spedchat - Special Education conversations
       #ntchat - New Teacher Conversations

2.  Twitter encourages reflective practice.  Share what you have learned and learn from others.

3. Make connections with great educators around the country and around the world. It's a great way to find collaborative partners on projects.

4. The online Twitter community becomes your own personal brain trust. You can use all the amazing  educators on Twitter as resources. More then once I have asked for help from the Twitter community and gotten great responses within minutes!

5. Twitter is fast, easy, and painless. Even if you never tweet a thing, you have great content streaming to you continuously.  It's a great way to find a new online tool, follow the news, learn about grant opportunities, etc.

If you would like to learn how to use Twitter check out the following online resources or see Jim or Rita about getting started with the best PD out there! (our inservice sessions excluded... of course.  ;)  )

Mashable's Twitter Guidebook
Twitter Search in Plain English
Twitter for Teachers Blog

SlideRocket

UPDATE - SLIDEROCKET.EDU HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED

SlideRocketEDU is an online presentation maker that is available to all our students who have Google accounts.  SlideRocket allows students to create online interactive presentations that include video, voice recording, sound, pictures, active hyperlinks, polls, etc. (See example below)

There are a few important things to keep in mind if you would like to use SlideRocketEDU in the classroom.

• Students MUST access SlideRocketEDU via their school Google Apps accounts, if create a SlideRocket account any other way, they will not get the EDU features, including collaboration and voice recording.
• Once they sign into their Mail, they can get to SlideRocketEDU by clicking on "More" and then selecting SlideRocket.

• Students can collaborate on a SlideRocket, but they cannot work on it at the same time. To add other students simply click the "Collaborate" tab and then add the group members as editors. (Note: all editors should create their SlideRocketEDU accounts first by following the step above)

If you would like more information about how to use SlideRocketEDU, please contact your Technology Integrators (Jim & Rita).

Happy Geeky Valentines!

I just couldn't help but send this one out to everyone. Just follow the instructions for a Happy Valentine's Day message from your tech dept.

Go to Google.com

Type (just the highlighted section):  sqrt(cos(x))*cos(300x)+sqrt(abs(x))-0.7)*(4-x*x)^0.01, sqrt(6-x^2), -sqrt(6-x^2) from -4.5 to 4.5 in the search bar.

Happy Valentine's Day!

TED talks "courses" now available on iTunes U

TED talks and iTunes U have joined forces to create "courses" listed by subject for educators, students, and life long learners. Find out more in iTunes.

Current courses include:

•  Psychology
•  Mastering Tech Artistry
• Creative Problem Solving
• Excavating Origins
• Climate Change
• Understanding Islam

While on iTunes U take the time to explore other courses as well as other TED talks that have not yet been bundled into courses.