Tag Archives: John Dewey

DIRT (Registry of Digital Research Tools)

Dirt Digital Research Tools seems to have a link to just about every type of tool you can imagine to conduct research, gather data and to present or publish.  You can search for free and paid applications. You can also search for “Creative Commons” materials.  The tools range from simple to complex.  You can even choose the kind of data you would like to access.

 

My latest “Scoop.It” links

Pinterest

 

Reflections on being a computer technology integrator

Three years ago, I accepted  the  computer technology integration specialist position in our district.  For a period of time, I conducted my own computer technology classes.  The philosophy changed from treating computer training as something separate to integrating technology tools into all curriculum areas. These tools are not separate from day to day activities.  They are an integral part of them. I agreed that computers should be used in all classrooms in order to enhance student learning, creativity, and innovation.  Technology may not be appropriate for every task but it certainly paves the way to do things that were impossible only a few years ago. With this in mind, I began to try to undertake the task of working with both students and staff to enhance and hopefully even redefine learning in the classroom. Recently, I had the opportunity to reflect on my job description.  Here is an, at least, partial list of my responsibilities theses past few years. In some cases, teachers and students have embraced these tools either on their own or through collaboration with me.  Some have been more reticent.  Progress has been made but there is still work to do.  Becoming a Google Apps for Education district has played an very important role in following our vision of integration.  Blizzard Bags, Google Classroom and cloud softwares such as WeVideo have also contributed.  Publishing, student centered, project-based multimedia productions are one of the ways to take advantage of what we couldn’t imagine doing in the past.

 

Computer Technology Integrator:

Maintain a vision for district-wide integration of technology – Short and long range planning- model using technology to enhance student learning – model digital citizenship

Work with State and district guidelines and standards – ICT standards, district technology plan

Help draft district technology plan

Co-Chair Technology Taskforce – help coordinate and conduct professional development workshops

Model and teach research skills

Google Administrator for organizations, domains and aliases

Trainer for Google Apps, blizzard bags, classroom, etc

Trainer for software usage on board and in the cloud – work with different platforms

Group presenter in schools and Christa MCAuliffe Conference – staff development

Work with students and teachers to integrate technologies – collaboration – co-teach

One on one and group tutoring

On going monitoring of blogs, websites, twitter, etc. to keep up with latest trends, to find new ideas, trends, tools, and interact with experts – find and share resources

Try out new things – find out which software and hardware will fit student and teacher needs

Maintain blog  and website in order to share ideas and disseminate information with other staff members – how to guides

Curate other websites to maintain useful educational links

Work with IT to provide appropriate infrastructure for technology based instruction

Read periodicals and books and attend workshops – professional learning community

Contact staff members to collaborate – Schedule and keep appointments

Maintain computer lab equipment and green screen room

Recommend and arrange for purchase of equipment such as cameras, video cameras, computers, laptops, Chromebook carts, etc.

Troubleshoot software and hardware glitches on the fly, especially during class –  help teachers overcome fear of failure

Adapt to ever changing technologies – model lifelong learning

Learn from everyone including students

Work in different curriculum areas

Teaching background – ability to work  in a classroom environment

Written and oral communication skills

Design curriculum –  familiarity with educational philosophies, methods of instruction and align these with technology

Developing webinars – streaming video

Share visual imaging skills

Share skills learned from working with a publisher

 

Scoop It Links

Free eBooks on Zing

Zing offers thousands of free eBooks.  You can create your own eBook library, create classes and assign books to specific students.  Books are leveled according to reading skill and as well as recommending what would be of interest to different students depending on their grade. When I signed up, I had to use our sau.org domain rather than govwentworth.

 

Scoop It Links

Do More With Google-55 Tips To Make This School Year Yours

There are some interesting tips here.  I am sure most of you will want to “start your Lincoln car by voice”.

Unfortunately, “Instaccart” home grocery delivery isn’t available in New Hampshire.  Not yet anyway.

Editing “Word”, “Excel”, and “PowerPoint” documents in “Google Docs”, “Sheets”, and “Slides” could come in handy.

 

Who knew?  Check out the tips here:  55 Tips to make this school year yours

New Scoop It links

 

 

 

SafeShare.tv

Safeshare.tv is a service that allows you to convert a YouTube link so that the viewer only sees the video. The up next list that normally appears to the right of a YouTube video is not visible.  While that list is useful for finding similar videos, often the featured video are not school appropriate.  Bottom line is that safeshare.tv eliminates all distractions and shows just the movie you wish to watch or show. The service is legal.  It also offers a download option and the video can be shared in a multitude of ways.  This is a very useful tool for teachers who want to show or share a video without the usual YouTube distractions.

Education links on:

Scoop It

Pinterest

Everything Teachers need to know about Google Classroom from Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

Many of the teachers in the Governor Wentworth Regional School District have been making use of Google Classroom  It is an excellent way to organize assignments, provide formative assessments, archive student work and save time. It is a very useful addition to Google Apps for education that we are all using.   It is free and easy to use.  Now that our district has increased bandwidth at all of the schools, we now have the power to use Google Classroom effectively. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning has posted an excellent, easy to understand tutorial on how to us this great tool. Everything Teachers Need To Know About Google Classroom.

Interesting curated education sites on Scoop It 

My Pinterest

20 Chrome Apps Every Teacher Should Know About And An Interesting Article On Narrative Writing Across All Content Areas

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning have created a list of 22 Google Chrome Apps that are useful for education. The list is not exhaustive but I have found most of these to be useful.

Here is another article that is  interesting look at Argument Writing across Content Areas by Heather Wolpert-Gawron. I  am reading Minds Made For Stories by UNH English Professor by Thomas Newkirk. Professor Newkirk challenges the idea that narrative writing and informational writing are different.  He maintains that narrative storytelling is, in his own words, the Mother of all Modes” of discourse.  Both Wolpert-Gawon’s and Newkirk’s arguments are very compelling and should be considered as the Common Core calls for more emphasis on information reading and writing.

New Scoop It links

10 Classroom Ideas To Try in 2015 fromEdWeek

EdWeek for teachers has 10 ideas for 2015.  Some I have already used but some have some interesting twists that look quite interesting and effective. 10 Classroom Ideas to try in 2015.  The Twitter Tuesday idea is new to me.  Here is a great intro to Twitter from Miles MacFarlane. Click here to Check out his poster on how to use Twitter.  Twitter is my lifeline to finding and sharing ideas.

 

My Scoop It Links

Technology Integrator midyear reflection for the Governor Wentworth School District

This is my mid year reflection for the 2014-2015 school year. It reflects how we are trying to address both teaching and infrastructure challenges.

For the 2014-2015 school year I am continuing to use the same guidelines that are included in the District Technology Plan. The SAMR model of technology integration (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition), the district ICT standards, (I can statements),and Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. During the fall of 2014, I have continued to meet with media personnel and teachers throughout the district. We have collaborated to implement multimedia projects that enhance student publications. I have provided training for Google Classroom and helped teachers enhance their Blizzard Bags. I have continued to stress the  proper siting of images and materials that are “free to use” on the Internet. I feel that we have made real progress in exposing students to the Creative Commons concept. I am already seeing an increase in the acceptance of CC in the middle school. This is because the students have been introduced to CC in the lower grades. I presented a workshop on Creative Commons at the Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference. I also conducted a video making workshop. To face the challenges in technology infrastructure, I have been working with IT to provide solutions that include the increased purchase of Chromebooks, adding RAM to to units that can accept upgrades, establishing criteria for future purchases, and addressing issues of bandwidth. The goal is to provide each student in the district with adequate technology access whenever and wherever it is appropriate. It will also be necessary to provide this quality of access for online testing. The task force is also looking into the feasibility of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). The good news is that bandwidth issues are surfacing because of the acceptance of Google Apps and Internet usage. Now that our staff is showing the ability and willingness to use technology tools, it is important that we provide them with the proper resources. I would like to see staff members taking advantage of online learning opportunities and the task force is looking at internal webinars. I continue to follow many education experts via Twitter, blogs, and curation sites such as “Scoop It.”. I will continue to share ideas using district e-mail and my blog. I continue to be one of the administrators of the district Google Console and I am the webmaster for the middle school. Rebecca Bureau, Jo Williams, and I advised the students who successfully submitted a completed three minute video to the Governor’s “Manufacturing is Fun” film making contest. This is the kind of project that is very gratifying for both the students and the teachers involved. The students were very proud of what they accomplished. We were proud of them. Unfortunately my schedule makes it difficult to keep up with helping students to continue to create the KRMS TV show. I am hoping that perhaps collaboration with Jo Williams and Scott Geiessler may lead to the continuation of this program. In the future I intend to continue to work with teachers and media personnel throughout the district. I am encouraged by the progress that has made made. I see my task as being there to help get beyond the substitution and augmentation levels in the SAMR model. Through collaboration and a willingness to take risks we can all enhance what we are already doing.  We will be able to redefine how we teach using technology, not as a means to an end, but rather as a tool that can enhance powerful student and teacher learning.

 

Google Doc Update-Adjust image Colors and Filters

Click here for my latest Scoop it posts.

Here is a new update for  Google Docs.  You can now adjust image colors and filters.  This was recently introduced to Google Slides and now you can take advantage of this in a Google Drive Document.  Adjust Image Colors and Filters

I post the  awhile back but this is a reminder that Read and Write for Google is a Google Chrome extension.   It is available in the Google Chrome Store .  Once you have installed the trial version, you can register as an educator, and the extension is free.  The yearly subscription is normally $100. The registration is on the upper right hand corner of  of a Drive document.  Listed below are some of the things Google Read and Write can do.  Also check out TextHELP for more information on this useful  extension.

  • Read Aloud with dual-color highlighting
  • Word Prediction
  • Translator
  • Talking and Picture Dictionaries
  • Fact Finder
  • Highlighters and ability to collect highlights
  • Vocabulary Builder to easily create a list of words with text definitions and images
  • Annotations (PDF and ePub)
  • Navigational tools (PDF and ePub)

Enhancements for Google Classroom