Upcoming Conference Presentations

I am excited to share that I'll presenting at two great conferences this fall. Hope to see many of you there!

Michigan Google Educators Conference - October 19, 2012 (Southfield, MI)

Session Description: 


Amplify the agenda - Making meetings and PD more engaging with Google Docs.
This session will model the use of Google Docs to create and facilitate dynamic/interactive agendas and training resources. Learn how the online collaborative features of Google Docs have transformed the way St. Clair County RESA delivers information and facilitates participant driven meetings and professional development. Participants will walk away with a better understanding of the power behind creating resources that encourage participation, reflection, and extended communication. Highlights include: An experiential model of participant driven PD, examples of agendas for meetings and PD, and formatting tips to create auto-generated hyperlinked tables of content.  

Michigan Digital Learning Conference - November 15-16 (Clinton Township, MI)

Session Description: 

Learning is beautiful:Leveraging the iPad as a tool for expression and creativity

Learn how to make the most of your iPad’s cameras, microphone and multi-touch gestures with Free apps like Educreations, Popplet Lite and Splice. The principles of Universal Design for Learning will frame our conversation as we look at how to meet the needs of all learners. In this hands-on session we will explore how these dynamic multi-media tools help teachers and students create resources that address a variety of learning strengths and needs. And best of all, have Fun!

App Review: Make Dice Lite - Differentiating with cooperative learning structures and thinking cubes

Here is a brief video app tour of Make Dice Lite. This app allows you to create up to six custom six-sided dice. One or multiple dice can be thrown at a time. Creating custom dice is relatively simple and could be created quickly by having students open a document or website that contains pre-written questions or categories and then copying and pasting these onto your custom made dice. The one drawback to this Free app is the pop-up adds that occur between rolling events.

For more information on using Cooperative Learning to differentiate instruction with or without the iPad I highly recommend these resources put together by St. Clair County RESA Math and Science Assistant Director, Laura Chambless.

I've also included a few links to Cube and Thinking Dot activities and examples to help get you started.

Kagan Cooperative Learning - Learning Cubes
Cube and Thinking Dot Activities
Thinking Cube resources
Thinking Cube example

Edmodo overview video with embedded formative assessment using the new quiz feature in Camtasia 8

I wanted to share this 7 minute introduction to Edmodo that I recently created using trial copy of TechSmith's newest version of their screencasting software Camtasia 8. Previously, Camtasia provided the option to embed assessment questions into their videos, however, the results could not be collected by the video creator. In this newest version of Camtasia the results are e-mailed nightly to the creator or an e-mail recipient selected by the creator as a spreadsheet file. This could be a fantastic way to promote active viewing within the video and determine how well the information is being received.

Feel free to check out the video below to see how the embedded assessments function or to learn more about the basic features of Edmodo. You can select the option to skip the quiz if you like by clicking on the "watch video only" link. Enjoy!

14 elementary math apps for the iPad

elementary math apps

View more lists from Kit Hard

Make your mark on Google with Handwrite for Mobile and Tablet Search - Inside Search

Make your mark on Google with Handwrite for Mobile and Tablet Search - Inside Search:

Hat tip to my colleague, Kristin Day, for sharing this great new accessibility tip for mobile devices. Now you can skip the keyboard when you want to do Google searches and use handwriting instead. Enabling this feature is pretty straightforward.

1. Open your mobile device web browser and go to http://google.com.
2. Locate the gear icon on the top right hand corner.
3. Tap on the "search settings" link.
4. Select "enable" under the Handwrite section and then tap save at the bottom of the screen.
5. To begin using handwriting tap on the "g" at the bottom right hand of your Google search screen.

This could be a great feature for younger students who are unfamiliar with the QWERTY keyboard, practicing letter formation, and students who struggle with selecting individual keys on the virtual keyboard. This can also be a time saving tool when you are searching on the go.

For as a video demonstration and more information about this feature follow the link at the top.

'via Blog this'

Video - Using the Assistive Touch setting on the iPad

I wanted to share a brief video overview of the assistive touch features for the iPad. This feature could be useful for anyone with limited mobility or fine motor control such as a student with Cerebral palsy.

In particular, I created this screencast to help support a high school student with CP. He was able to control the iPad quite well using one finger in most cases but had difficulty accessing any of the physical button. He also could not perform any of the multi-touch gestures.

On a personal note I found this feature useful after I broke my hand this winter and lost some control over my right ring finger. I had difficulty performing 4 and 5 finger swipes on the ipad for several months and used the assistive touch as an alternative means of accessing these features.

Curating the web with Scoop.it

I'm exploring options for curating and sharing the web as I find apps, articles and how-to's that support student centered learning. As you can see from the screenshot of my Chrome toolbar, I haven't exactly settled on one tool to use.

Diigo, Scoop.it, list.ly, livebinders, edmodo, twitter, pinterest - What tool are you using curate the web?

 

Friend or Foe? Mobile device cameras in the classroom.

One of our greatest fears as educators surrounding mobile devices like the iPad is the camera. The camera more than any other feature seems to have the potential for doing the most harm while simultaneously having countless educational value.

As we introduce mobile devices into the classroom or invite students to bring their own devices is there a way to effectively teach good digital citizenship and safety regarding the camera before it's too late?

I believe that the solution lies in asking students to use their mobile device camera frequently and repeatedly within the classroom to accomplish a variety of academic purposes each and every day and to conduct regular, purposeful checks of the images we ask them to take.

Here are some examples designed with a 1:1 or BYOD setting in mind with the potential for modification to fit in a shared device classroom. As students enter the room I might ask them to take a picture of the day’s agenda written on the board. This visual schedule will assist students with time management and provide a reference to the day's objectives when they are home. I might then ask students to open an app such as skitch or or paperport notes and have them photograph the day's bell ringer activity. They can then use annotation features to respond to the question and submit their response. Throughout a lesson I would encourage students to photograph notes on the board, their own notes and ancillary items in the room like posters or models. I would also ask students to take pictures of assignments I pass out or graded work that I've returned to them. And throughout this process, I would be explicit in my expectation that they refer to all of these photos for completing class tasks, homework, or as study guides. I would also do spot checks to see that students are taking photos of the required items and embed tasks within assignments that draw on information found in the photos. Finally, I would have students evaluate their photos for evidence of mastery and organize these photos for a portfolio.

Variations of these photo activities might also work in shared device settings by having students organize folders for the photos or by sharing the photos to an e-mail or dropbox account that the student can access using a different device. Designating student roles such as class photographer and class videographer would also help model appropriate use of mobile device cameras and turn the shared mobile device into a classroom resource.

Realistically, the storage on these mobile devices is limited and organizing the countless photos would require some room in our already crowded instructional schedules. But let’s be honest. This is not a storage or time crisis. This is about digital footprints and averting disaster.

In short, we hog the heck out the camera and expect not only access to the content but also encourage application, reflection, and the development of a final product using the photos taken. Not only does this reinforce the idea the camera is a tool and not a toy, it supports student organizational skills, provides multiple means of a representation (See Universal Design for Learning), and most importantly makes questionable content far less inviting.

M"DeI believe that given two weeks of near constant reinforcement of using the camera as a tool coupled with embedded instruction on the importance of digital citizenship and safety the majority of students would hesitate before taking and posting the kinds of pictures we all fear.

Today I came across this great infographic for helping students make good decisions about the pictures and videos they take. I also had the opportunity to share the poster with some Middle School students working in a nearby school. Yes, they’ve heard some of these “rules” before. But hearing it again and within the context of taking a picture of themselves (a reflection activity they were asked to complete) deepens their understanding and lets them apply the criteria we discussed.

By the way, there is an alternative. We can disable the cameras on devices we own. We can ban the devices they own. We can have once a year conversations about digital citizenship and safety that are isolated from the content of our lessons and that interfere with “real” teaching because “we have too.” Oh wait, that’s what we do right now. How’s that workin’ for ya?

In all seriousness, teaching digital citizenship and safety requires innovative strategies and deliberate effort. Let’s work together to find solutions that work. Please share how you are tackling the “fear of photos” in your classroom.

How to enable diigo bookmarking in Safari on the iPad

While I am no diigo guru, I have come to rely on the bookmarking and highlighting features it offers. I use the diigo browser extension for chrome to make saving websites and web highlights a snap. I recently learned how to enable similar features using the iPad's Safari browser and have create a brief tutorial showing how to set this up. The tutorial assumes that you have downloaded the diigo app for iPad and that you have created a diigo account.

For more information about diigo and its uses in education take a look at this resource.

Classroom audio recording is a Cinch

Update: Cinch.fm and it's app are no longer in service. I recommend replacing these with AudioBoo or Soundcloud.

Cinch.fm and the cinch app for iOS devices have become my go to audio recording and podcasting tool. Let me tell you why.

My son listening to a Cinch recording of his favorite  book

First is ease of use. Both the cinch.fm website and the app are very easy to use when it comes to sign-up, recording, and listening to recordings. Second is the unlimited recording time (unlike audioboo.fm which limits recordings to three minutes). Third is the ability to make recordings using your computer and a microphone (website), using an iPad, iPhone, or 4th generation iPod touch (app), or record using any phone associated to your Cinch account.

The classroom applications are endless but here are just a few of the reasons why Cinch is the best option in my opinion.

• Recording lectures that are immediately available online for students who are absent or need to hear the material again
• Parent communication podcast (Audio newsletter, Daily activity and homework reporting)
• Audio directions for worksheets or test accommodations
• Student interviews and observational data 
• Student recordings of think alouds, group projects, audio notes, student created tutorials, fluency practice, or adding audio to physical projects such as posters, dioramas, or written work

 For a more detailed look at using audio and podcasting in the classroom take a look at this post I wrote last year.

With cinch.fm you can also add photos and text to the audio recording. With the iOS app teachers and students can quickly and easily add a picture from the camera roll or take a picture with camera enabled devices. Text is limited to 140 characters. Ideas for teacher or student use include:

• Taking pictures of objects around the classroom or school that relate to a theme or concept (e.g find and describe examples of ecosystems or geometric shapes)
• Taking pictures of charts, graphics, or text and recording audio to answer questions
• Asking students to take pictures of their work and record reflections about the content
• Have students record themselves reading classroom books or materials. Use QR codes or shortened URL's to let others listen - See the How-to below.

Setting up a Cinch account - I recommend creating a generic classroom account if students will be recording. I also suggest making your folders private by default.

or using the cinch app

Make private folder(s) for your recordings (folders can only be created from the website)

Make a recording using the website or app

Add photos and text to the recording

Share your recording by shortening the URL or QR codes from the website

I recommend installing a QR code/URL shortener like goo.gl to your Chrome or Firefox browser or going to http://qrcode.kaywa.com/.

Start adding QR codes and shortened URL's to books and other classroom objects. You can use a QR scanner app for your iOS devices to make access to the recordings a snap!

Listen for your self.

Quick thoughts on Qwiki for iPad #iear #edapp #edtech #ttdn

Just before the end of the school year I was able to check out an iPad from our RESA Assistive Technology lending library and test a few different apps with students. One of the apps I felt had great potential in the classroom was Qwiki. Qwiki compiles reference information from sites like wikipedia, images, videos, and maps to create an immersive information experience. But the most unique feature is the text-to-speech narration that accompanies every Qwiki. Captioning at the bottom of the screen is read by the text-to-speech engine giving the user the option to listen or read along. In essence, Qwiki turns your searches into movies.

In the short video clip above, students used Qwiki to research elements from the periodic table for a science project. I was impressed by the engagement level I saw, but also noted that the students using the Qwiki app were jotting down notes for their projects and reviewed their Qwiki search multiple times before moving on to the related searches presented at the end of the presentation. Because we were testing in an open environment without headphones other students paused to watch as well and even started discussing some of the qualities of the element being shown. This was vastly different from the disinterested search process that I had witnessed before I introduced the app.

It is worth noting that Qwiki is not just an iPad app. Their website http://www.qwiki.com offers an identical experience minus the intuitive touch screen interface. I'd love to see Qwiki develop some editing features that would allow students to curate their own resources and create dynamic presentations that could be shared.

Have you used Qwiki in your classroom? Please share your thoughts on how you think this website and app might support struggling learners or help increase engagement.

Reinspired

It has been a while since I have written a blog post. I've recently acquired an android smart phone which has inspired me to write this post today. Actually I'm speaking this post using the blogger app and the android voice recognition. It works surprisingly well. 

I'm looking forward to writing or speaking more blog posts about the use of cell phones in education. I'm also looking forward to my Macul conference presentation entitled "cell phones are 4 learning." See you there!

Classroom tools: Using phones to generate voice-to-text transcriptions, reminders and audio recordings

In my recent post on using audio and podcasting in the classroom I discussed phone recording options such as Google Voice and ipadio.com. In this post I am looking more specifically at phone services which record audio and transcribe voice-to-text, but are designed primarily as reminder and to do applications.

What are the benefits in education?

First, phones are one of the most ubiquitous technologies in schools. Land line phones as well as cell phones are available to almost everyone both in school and at home. 

Secondly, reminders and to do lists are an important organizational strategy.  Services such as Dial2do.com and Reqall.com add features which traditional to do lists lack such as access on multiple internet connected devices and integration with other online services such as calendars, social media, and blogging.  And unlike traditional lists and reminders the audio recordings provide another means of accessing and remembering important information.  

Teachers could use these services to broadcast classroom notes and alerts or for personal organization and reminders.  Students can use these services to become more organized but may also benefit from their voice-to-text transcriptions. This may particularly beneficial for students requiring assistive technology such as struggling writers or students who have difficulty using a writing device or keyboard.

Dial2Do

"Today I've been looking at a couple of different phone services which I might promote for students who are having difficulty writing things down. Dial2do is a phone service that converts voice to text and transcribes those messages-"
Powered by

Dial2do appears to be moving toward a two tiered pay model and no longer offers a free account. Dial2do integrates nicely with services like Twitter and Blogger. The recordings are limited to aproximately 20 seconds, but the transcriptions are very good. The recordings are in Mp3 format and can be downloaded or listened to directly using the web based audio player.

Reqall


Here's another test I made today using reqall.com -

"Imagine using your cellphone to write your next persuasive essay. There's a student sitting at a table. He's looking at the assignment. He needs to write an essay. He pulls out his cellphone. In the future essays may be written by students who call in their paragraphs and have them dictated by a phone."  Link to audio

Unlike Dial2do, reqall.com does offer a free and paid account model.  It also has an iOS app which integrates nicely with the service and allows voice messages to be recorded and transcribed using an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. The time limit appears to be slightly longer, about 30 seconds, however the transcription did not pick up punctuation at the end of sentences and a few words required correction. One feature which I feel is missing is an embeddable Mp3 player for listening to audio online. Reqall Pro offers integration with services such as calendars, social networking, and Evernote.

Screencast: Testing Camtasia and Audioboo at the same time

This was a test of running Camtasia and Audioboo at the same time for the purpose of making a training tutorial.  Although Camtasia was able to capture the screen and audio process fine, the Audioboo recording was distorted.  It is possible that this was due to the fact my laptop does not have enough processing power to handle multiple recording applications simultaneously.  Feel free to offer suggestions in the comment section below. To hear the audioboo sample which was created in the screencast click on the following link.

http://audioboo.fm/boos/217412-making-a-camtasia-screencast-and-audioboo-recording-at-the-same-time

SCCRESA Dateline Schools radio interview #TTDN

This is a recording of my interview with Dateline Schools host Terry Harrington discussing 21st Century Learning and technology in education. We also discuss RESA's Tools for Teaching Digital Natives teacher cohort.

You can also listen to my Dateline Schools interview from last year by clicking here

Dateline: Schools Radio
Dateline: Schools Radio, a daily radio segment aired on WPHM-1380 AM, focuses on a different school program or issue every week.

This program airs three times daily on WPHM 1380 AM with host Terry Harrington.

You can listen to Dateline: Schools at 5:50 a.m., 12:55 p.m., and 6:55 p.m., Monday through Friday.

If you are unable to view the audio player, click here.

ipadio: New edtechkit podcast - Cross posting to blogger and twitter automatically

Click here if you are unable to view the ipadio player. http://ipad.io/QZ6

Fall family fun: Geocaching and podcasting together

My family and I enjoy the "Geek" sport of Geocaching.  Ok, it's not that geeky when you consider that it is great excuse to go outside and explore.  Plus there are a number of great classroom applications.   Of course there are a lot of math applications (calculating distances and geometry) or using the answers to math problems to complete missing coordinates.  And geocaching is well suited to teaching geography concepts and local history.  But you can also use caches for team building, campus orientations, or tie into the geocaching online community to build communication skill.  Regardless, it is a lot of fun.

My two children Bella and Tennyson helped me to make a quick podcast while we were out geocaching today at the Pine River Nature Center.  I had a little difficulty with our recordings and ended up using a couple different iPod touch apps (Voice and ipadio) to get the job done, but it was fun to record on the go.  Take a listen to get a better sense of what geocaching is all about.

Can't see the podcast player? Click here

A month's worth of Twitter Favorites

Here a are a few of my favorite tweets from the past month. Too often, I favorite a tweet, bookmark a website, or star a blog post in my Google Reader but never go back to reflect and review these saved items.  I'm including an audio podcast of my reflection for those who would like to hear a little bit more about why I chose to save these tweets and my impression of the links they include.  Enjoy.

Can't see the audio player? Click Here

p.s. People occasionally ask how I get my favorites list into the blog posts, so here's my big secret.  Go to http://twitter.com, open your favorites, highlight, copy and paste into your blog. 

My Favorites

coolcatteacher Vicki Davis 

LiveWeb - insert and update web pages real-time in PowerPointdiigo.com/0d6s8 via @Diigo

14 Oct 

courosa Alec Couros 

This is #awesome! "The World Is Full of Interesting Things" - a fantastic example of a Google Prez. http://is.gd/g1daF

14 Oct 

dgende Dolores Gende 

@willrich45 new blogger at Huffington Post writes "My Kids are Illiterate. Most Likely, Yours Are Too" http://huff.to/bEtme8

13 Oct 

jackiegerstein JackieGerstein Ed.D. 

Comic and Animation Technologies in the Classroomhttp://wp.me/pKlio-6V

5 Oct 

ddmeyer Dan Meyer 

"I never set out to become anything in particular, only to live creatively." Best video you'll see today. http://bit.ly/a8fjOy

2 Oct 

tonyvincent Tony Vincent 

Allowing texting in the hallway between class, study hall, and at lunch has decreased sneak texting in class:http://tonyv.me/letthemtext

23 Sep 

ChrisLAtkinson Chris Atkinson 

Domain Gadget Directory Manager (DGDM) - Keeping your Google Sites Clean http://ff.im/-qP324

19 Sep 

mikekaechele Michael Kaechele 

I truly believe if we are giving students a quality education in a caring environment that parents will ignore Stan. Test scores good or bad

18 Sep 

»

dannymaas Danny Maas 

This looks great!-->Join.Me - Instant Web-Based Screen Sharinghttps://join.me/ #edtech #edchat #creativity

18 Sep