Free Interactive Whiteboard App for Ipads

Mobile App Monday

IPEVO Whiteboard turns your ipad into an interactive whiteboard.  This resource is a great way for the student to become the teacher. Students can record what they know and then save it to their google drive. It's simple and easy to use. The app gives your students the capability to draw and annotate directly onto a real-time camera image or an image all ready stored on the ipad. The newly added ruler and protractor is an added bonus for any math class. 

  

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Website Wednesday

Fodey.com has a free, easy to use Newspaper Clipping Generator. 

It's as easy as 1-2-3. 

Go to fodey.com

Choose Create A Newspaper

Type in a title, date, headline, and story. 

Click Generate. And it's done!

Download the image to your classroom Facebook or Twitter. Place the image on your classroom webpage or blog! See my example below. 

Try it out and share with us how you and your students use it in your classroom.  

Google Shortner

Tech Tip Tuesday

The Goo.gl URL Shortner not only makes long URLs shorter, it also gives you an option for a QR Code. I love this! It's so easy to use - just install the extension from the Web Store through your Chrome browser. The extension will appear at the top of your browser next to the Omnibox.

Just navigate to the website you want to shorten, then click the extension. It will provide you with the shortened URL and the QR code. Right click on the QR code to copy it - then you can paste it anywhere you want it.

Fabulous, Fun, and Free!

Mobile App Monday

Pic Collage was one of the first apps I downloaded on my iPad and I've been using it ever since.

Using the simple layout options, select the best one for your photos, and then add photos from your device or from the web. You can also add text and stickers, change the background, and create special effects for your photos. 

Your creations can be saved to your device, instagram, twitter, facebook, or tumblr.

This app is an absolute must for students. It can be used in any subject area and can be as detailed as you want it to be. 

Need some ideas? Just click on this Pinterest search to be inspired - Pic Collage App Search

Learning Without Borders

Last year, over the course of a two-day event, thousands of educators, guest speakers and students traveled 3,046,124 virtual miles.

Let's help them add more miles this year. 

For more information or to sign-up click here. 

Learning at Your Own Pace and Anytime

Website Wednesday

 GCFLearnFree.org is an online tutorial program from the Goodwill Community Foundation that offers over 2,000 self-paced lessons, over 800 how-to videos, and over 55 interactive games. 

In this one location you, your students, and their parents can learn anything and everything about technology such as Microsoft, Social Media, Windows, Mobile Apps, Chrome and so much more!

The site also offers tutorials in reading and math, skills needing in the workplace, job skills such as interviewing and writing resumes, cooking, managing money and so much more! 

Bonus Features: 

• ALL is FREE!
• Available 24/7 
• App available for iphone/ipad, Android, and Kindle for learning on the go
• Offers curriculum guides in the Educator's Resource

Eduphoria Help

Tech Tip Tuesday

Forethought

"I have my lesson plans housed in Forethought, but need to edit my planner. How and where do I go?"

"Ok, set up my planner, now what? Can I see a weekly view? Can I print my lessons?"

"What does the activity do?"

"I heard math has a TEAM planner, how did they do that?"

AWARE

"TEAM test? Awesome! How do we create one?"

"How do I set up a monitor list?"

"Can I run a report that groups my students by incorrect answers on an assessment?" 

Workshop

"How can I add an out-of-district workshop to my portfolio in order to get credit?"

All of these questions, and 100's more can be answered in the HELP portion of Eduphoria. The help answers come in step-by step directions or in a how-to video. Both are easy to follow and can be accessed 24/7.  Within the updated SEARCH tool, it's even easier to find answers to your questions for any of the Eduphoria products.

All you have to do is log into Eduphoria and click the HELP link located on the toolbar in the top right corner of your screen.

 Then choose the product that you have questions about or type your query into the search box. 

Digital Citizenship

Mobile App Monday

With Digital Citizenship Week around the corner, here are a few resources to help your students be more responsible and conscientious of the digital footprint they leave behind. The apps provide students a chance to make decisions and see the outcomes in a safe environment.  The following resources  from commonsensemedia.org will give students a chance to learn and practice 

the Nine Elements which all users should be familiar with when it comes to being a member of  and participating in a digital society. . 

Digital Passport is an online app ($2.99) for Grades 3-5. It includes 5 games that teach students how to be safe and respectful in a digital community while on their mobile device or computer. It also offers offline activities for the teachers to use in the classroom and aligns with the digital citizenship curriculum from commonsensemedia.org.

Digital Compass is a free online app for Grades 6-9. It is a choose-your-own adventure game available in English and Spanish. Students choose from one of the 8 available characters and navigate through the ins and outs and ups and downs of daily digital life. This program aligns with the digital citizenship curriculum from commonsensemedia.org. 

Digital Bytes is an online experience for teens (13+). Teens can work individually, with a partner, or in a small group to complete a project that deals with today's digital issues. The program is designed to give students a voice and help impact and change for the better their digital community. Students will need to create a free account at commonsensemedia.org.

Become a World-Class Digital Citizen

Monday Reminder

Digital Citizenship Week: October 17 - 21, 2016

I think most of us would agree that while most students have and use mobile devices and computers; they don't always know how to use them properly in an educational setting. I believe it is up to us to make students aware of the difference between personal and professional technology use. And how to safely and responsibly use technology devices in any setting. 

Digital Citizenship is a user's appropriate and responsible behavior with regard to technology use. So what makes a model digital citizen? Check out this link to read about the 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship. 

In preparation for Digital Citizenship Week, we want to share some resources to help you prepare activities not only for the week but for the school year. 

Common Sense Media - A wonderful website that contains all you need to know about digital citizenship and how to spread the message to your students and their family. Check out the curriculum, posters, tool kits, videos, and online activities for K-12. 

YouTube - Has created a curriculum, Understanding YouTube and Digital Citizenship, for students aged 13-18. The link provided is a teacher guide of the lessons available. 

Join us for our first SAISD PSA Challenge 2016 - Create (up to) a 90 second video in which students communicate their understanding of one or more of the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship and the positive effects that result from being a model digital citizen.

Guidelines for PSA:

• PSA must address authentic issues relevant to digital citizenship - 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship
• PSA must be appropriate for a mixed audience (from grade level to school board)
• PSA must follow appropriate copyright guidelines
• PSA must stay within the 90-second limit (including credits)
• Entries must be uploaded by 4:00 pm, November 4, 2016.
• Winning entries will be selected and notified on November 8, 2016 and showcased on SAISD Channel 4 throughout the school year.
• Important information and details can be found in the Teacher Guidelines & Submission Form

PSA Resources:

PSA Rubric

Student Checklist

Parent Permission Form

Citation Guidelines and Resources

Center for Digital Education: How to create a PSA

Digital Citizenship - Common Sense Education

9 P’s for Proactive Knowledge by Vicki Davis

Website Wednesday

 Padlet is one of my absolute FAVORITE websites (and apps) for sharing content and ideas. 

So what is Padlet you ask? Padlet is, at the most basic level, an online bulletin board or virtual wall. You and your students can post information for others to view. But really, Padlet is so much more than that. Here are just a few ways teachers and students can use Padlet in the classroom -

• teachers can post questions that students can answer 
• students can provide feedback/evaluation of a project
• students can upload their work for others to see
• students can record their voices to answer posted questions 
• teachers can use it as a communication tool for parents
• students can write book reviews
• teachers can post links to video tutorials or websites to be used in research

The list could go on and on. I encourage you to take a look at Padlet.com (and the app). Here's a link to a video explaining how to use Padlet and it also has a few examples: https://youtu.be/8VcSQygAf6E.

Digital Journal

Tech Tip Tuesday

With upgrades in technology resources like Google Docs and Microsoft Word, how wonderful it is to be able to create a digital journal that teachers do not have to endlessly scroll through in order to find student entries for that day or week. It's easier than ever to go digital when journaling with the a linked table of contents. 

Watch this short video on 

How to Insert a Linked Table of Contents using a Google Doc

Watch this short video on

How to Insert a Linked Table of Contents using Microsoft Word

Now even better, once your journal is set up, you and your students can share the document whether you are using Google Docs or Microsoft Word. 

Become a World-Class Digital Citizen

Website Wednesday 

Digital Citizenship Week: October 17 - 21, 2016

I think most of us would agree that while most students have and use mobile devices and computers; they don't always know how to use them properly in an educational setting. I believe it is up to us to make students aware of the difference between personal and professional technology use. And how to safely and responsibly use technology devices in any setting. 

Digital Citizenship is a user's appropriate and responsible behavior with regard to technology use. So what makes a model digital citizen? Check out this link to read about the 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship. 

In preparation for Digital Citizenship Week, we want to share some resources to help you prepare activities not only for the week but for the school year. 

Common Sense Media - A wonderful website that contains all you need to know about digital citizenship and how to spread the message to your students and their family. Check out the curriculum, posters, tool kits, videos, and online activities for K-12. 

YouTube - Has created a curriculum, Understanding YouTube and Digital Citizenship, for students aged 13-18. The link provided is a teacher guide of the lessons available. 

Join us for our first SAISD PSA Challenge 2016 - Create (up to) a 90 second video in which students communicate their understanding of one or more of the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship and the positive effects that result from being a model digital citizen.

Guidelines for PSA:

• PSA must address authentic issues relevant to digital citizenship - 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship
• PSA must be appropriate for a mixed audience (from grade level to school board)
• PSA must follow appropriate copyright guidelines
• PSA must stay within the 90-second limit (including credits)
• Entries must be uploaded by 4:00 pm, November 4, 2016.
• Winning entries will be selected and notified on November 8, 2016 and showcased on SAISD Channel 4 throughout the school year.
• Important information and details can be found in the Teacher Guidelines & Submission Form

PSA Resources:

PSA Rubric

Student Checklist

Parent Permission Form

Citation Guidelines and Resources

Center for Digital Education: How to create a PSA

Digital Citizenship - Common Sense Education

9 P’s for Proactive Knowledge by Vicki Davis

Become a World-Class Digital Citizen

Website Wednesday 

Digital Citizenship Week: October 17 - 21, 2016

I think most of us would agree that while most students have and use mobile devices and computers; they don't always know how to use them properly in an educational setting. I believe it is up to us to make students aware of the difference between personal and professional technology use. And how to safely and responsibly use technology devices in any setting. 

Digital Citizenship is a user's appropriate and responsible behavior with regard to technology use. So what makes a model digital citizen? Check out this link to read about the 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship. 

In preparation for Digital Citizenship Week, we want to share some resources to help you prepare activities not only for the week but for the school year. 

Common Sense Media - A wonderful website that contains all you need to know about digital citizenship and how to spread the message to your students and their family. Check out the curriculum, posters, tool kits, videos, and online activities for K-12. 

YouTube - Has created a curriculum, Understanding YouTube and Digital Citizenship, for students aged 13-18. The link provided is a teacher guide of the lessons available. 

Join us for our first SAISD PSA Challenge 2016 - Create (up to) a 90 second video in which students communicate their understanding of one or more of the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship and the positive effects that result from being a model digital citizen.

Guidelines for PSA:

• PSA must address authentic issues relevant to digital citizenship - 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship
• PSA must be appropriate for a mixed audience (from grade level to school board)
• PSA must follow appropriate copyright guidelines
• PSA must stay within the 90-second limit (including credits)
• Entries must be uploaded by 4:00 pm, November 4, 2016.
• Winning entries will be selected and notified on November 8, 2016 and showcased on SAISD Channel 4 throughout the school year.
• Important information and details can be found in the Teacher Guidelines & Submission Form

PSA Resources:

PSA Rubric

Student Checklist

Parent Permission Form

Citation Guidelines and Resources

Center for Digital Education: How to create a PSA

Digital Citizenship - Common Sense Education

9 P’s for Proactive Knowledge by Vicki Davis

Insert PowerPoint Themes into Google Slides

Tech Tip Tuesday

Still like that PowerPoint Theme? But want to use it in Google Slides? Now you can in 6 easy steps. 

1. Begin a new Google Slides presentation or Open an existing presentation.

2. Click Slide

3. Click Change Theme. The Theme panel will open on the right-side of your screen.

4. At the bottom of the Theme panel, click Import Theme button. 

5. The Import Theme window will open. Choose a presentation from your Google Drive and click Select or click Upload to choose a presentation from your computer. 

6. Once you have found your file, click Import Theme.

Your new theme is now applied. 

Digital Citizenship

Mobile App Monday

With Digital Citizenship Week around the corner, here are a few resources to help your students be more responsible and conscientious of the digital footprint they leave behind. The apps provide students a chance to make decisions and see the outcomes in a safe environment.  The following resources  from commonsensemedia.org will give students a chance to learn and practice 

the Nine Elements which all users should be familiar with when it comes to being a member of  and participating in a digital society. . 

Digital Passport is an online app ($2.99) for Grades 3-5. It includes 5 games that teach students how to be safe and respectful in a digital community while on their mobile device or computer. It also offers offline activities for the teachers to use in the classroom and aligns with the digital citizenship curriculum from commonsensemedia.org.

Digital Compass is a free online app for Grades 6-9. It is a choose-your-own adventure game available in English and Spanish. Students choose from one of the 8 available characters and navigate through the ins and outs and ups and downs of daily digital life. This program aligns with the digital citizenship curriculum from commonsensemedia.org. 

Digital Bytes is an online experience for teens (13+). Teens can work individually, with a partner, or in a small group to complete a project that deals with today's digital issues. The program is designed to give students a voice and help impact and change for the better their digital community. Students will need to create a free account at commonsensemedia.org.

Digital Citizenship

Mobile App Monday

With Digital Citizenship Week around the corner, here are a few resources to help your students be more responsible and conscientious of the digital footprint they leave behind. The apps provide students a chance to make decisions and see the outcomes in a safe environment.  The following resources  from commonsensemedia.org will give students a chance to learn and practice 

the Nine Elements which all users should be familiar with when it comes to being a member of  and participating in a digital society. . 

Digital Passport is an online app ($2.99) for Grades 3-5. It includes 5 games that teach students how to be safe and respectful in a digital community while on their mobile device or computer. It also offers offline activities for the teachers to use in the classroom and aligns with the digital citizenship curriculum from commonsensemedia.org.

Digital Compass is a free online app for Grades 6-9. It is a choose-your-own adventure game available in English and Spanish. Students choose from one of the 8 available characters and navigate through the ins and outs and ups and downs of daily digital life. This program aligns with the digital citizenship curriculum from commonsensemedia.org. 

Digital Bytes is an online experience for teens (13+). Teens can work individually, with a partner, or in a small group to complete a project that deals with today's digital issues. The program is designed to give students a voice and help impact and change for the better their digital community. Students will need to create a free account at commonsensemedia.org.