100+ iPad Apps Perfect For High School | Edudemic

As the presence of iPads in the classrooms increase, educators are looking for apps that enhance education. It is time consuming to hunt for apps, preview apps, and then decide if they are worth the effort to install to the iPad. Edudemic.com has posted a list titled, 100+ iPad Apps Perfect For High School | Edudemic, on their website. These apps were recommended by educators in the Palm Beach School System who have giving their stamp of approval.

There is also links to apps for middle school and elementary school as well. I love getting teacher tested great ideas! Thanks, Shawn Beard for sharing the link!

Paying it forward!

Linda Jones

The Eighth floor Technology and Learning Center

Learning with Passion vs. Custodial Education

Linda shared this article about online education with me.  She knew it was timely as I am in my last week with the group of Eighth Floor participants going through the OnlineLearning Series – this is a class that helps educators learn how to teach in an online environment.  I want to pull out a few points to share as I feel this is timely for everyone, every educator, not just my class.  I encourage you to read the article in its entirety:  Clayton Christensen: Why online education is ready for disruption, now.

The first point that really, really, really caught my eye was this: “Human beings with the best education tend to do best in the marketplace.”  My first thought – besides human beings, what living being even gets an education, and furthermore, takes it to a marketplace?  I will give you that I am a bit of a wiseacre, but come on.   Second thought – I totally agree.  When an education counts, those with the best have the best chance.  Third thought – those who learn online are more likely to get the best. They participate far more deeply in their own learning than those who learn in a face-to-face class. Online learners have to participate in every part of the class and their learning – they have to contribute to the discussion forum, they have to participate in group work, they have to make comments on a peer-review, etc.  In a F2F class, it is far too easy for most students to sit in a chair and passively observe the goings on in a class, whether that be lecture, group work, class discussion, etc. 

Next point: “The internet has changed how we interact with time.”  Ummmm . . . yep.  We have treated learning like work, 9-5, for so long.  Thus, the word custodial sits with us. Nothing about the term custodial education sounds interesting.  Nothing about being told I have to learn between the hours of 7:45 am and 3:30 pm sounds like it will encourage me to be a passionate life-long learner.  With access to the internet, I can be learning all the time and anytime, basically whenever I feel a passion for it. 

I also agree with another point made in the article: “We will still need teachers, but the skills necessary for success will be very different.”   Like many workers who have been replaced with “automation” in past centuries, teachers have been concerned that this technology will make them redundant.  Absolutely not. (I also absolutely would also not call a teacher a ‘worker.”)  But here’s what can/will/should change, we no long need to be consumed with lecturing or delivering content over and over and over.  Students can engage in a variety of ways with content at the speed and level they feel comfortable. They need the teacher to help them understand it and apply it. We will need to build deeper relationships with students. We will need to know even more about our subject matter and how “human beings” learn. 

I know most “human beings” don’t care to deal with change, especially if it is uncomfortable.  I am one of those, too, sometimes.  But, to me, this all seems exciting. I would like to think that I am contributing to a passion for learning and not a custodial education. Am I just crazy?

Just thinkin’
Lee Anne

iPodsibilities

Today while doing some background research for an upcoming conference, I stumbled across a fantastic website called iPodsibilities. The site's creator is Megan Wilson a Special Educator, and an Adaptive Technology Specialist, who has been recognized by Apple as a Distinguished Educator. Megan is an advocate for Mobile Learning particuliarly for special needs students.

iPodsibilities focuses on using ipods and ipads in the classroom. Megan's site includes app reviews, resources, adaptive technology, as well as lesson ideas. If you are serious about integrating iPads or iPods into the learning environment check out iPodsibilities.

As Megan states in her Blog, "Imagine the Possiblities!"
Until next time!
Linda

The Innovative Educator: Five Reasons I'm Not Flipping Over The Flipped Cla...

Up for some lively discussion? Check out the discussion regarding "The Flipped Classroom". If you are not familiar with the term "flipped" classroom this blog will help you get up to speed. After reading the discussion, what are your thoughts????
The Innovative Educator: Five Reasons I'm Not Flipping Over The Flipped Cla...: If you've read my thoughts about the Flipped Classroom in USA Today this week, you probably are either in agreement with my caution over...

7 Good Screen Capture Tools for Teachers

Have you ever been frustrated while training students or staff on some new technology tool? Need a new screen capture tool for your technology toolkit?
Richard Byrne author of "Free Technology for Teachers" discusses 7 Good Screen Capture Tools for Teachers in his latest blog .

We Video - Collaborative Online Video Editor

We Video - Collaborative Online Video Editor

In the video editor you can upload your own media clips or use stock media clips to produce your video. The video editor provides tools for trimming the length of display and or sound of each element you add to your video project. What makes We Video collaborative is that you can invite other people to create and edit with you. Check it out!

Linda Jones
Eighth Floor
Coordinator/Instructor

You Tube for Teachers

Good news for teachers! You Tube has launched a You Tube for Teachers. A slight variation from teacher tube
and School Tube, You Tube for Teachers will give teachers tips that show how to organize videos as well as offer discussions on how to help struggling students through the use of videos.

Why use You Tube in your Classroom?
1. Increase student engagement
2. Free access to thousands of high quality educational videos
3. Use videos to lengthen in-class instructional time
4. Expand your impact by reaching a larger audience.
Check out the article titled Five Reasons Why You Tube Rocks the Classroom if you need more reasons.

Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions

Came across this article in the Harvard Education Letter The title caught my attention, as an educator who oftened struggled to design thought provoking questions for my students. The article,Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions by Dan Rothstein & Luz Santana offers a different if not new perspective on learning, by having students design their questions using a Question Formulation Technique (QFT.) This technique helps students learn how to produce their own questions.
Teachers use QFT to introduce students to a unit, assess knowledge and to conclude a unit. The article includes all the steps you would need to understand and implement the process.
Love sharing!
Linda

Snappy Words

No I am not talking about a list of words to use for quick comebacks, although Snappy Words might help improve your word choice.
We all like free web tools that our students can use Free Technology for Teachers.com  provides teachers with free websites and resources that they can use in their classrooms.
Snappy Words is a free online visual dictionary and thesaurus. Enter any word or phrase into the Snappy Words search box and it will create a web of related words, phrases, and definitions. Hover your cursor over any word or phrase in the web to read its definition.
Check it out!
Linda Jones
The Eighth Floor

YES WE ARE OPEN - From Construction to Destruction to Instruction

CONSTRUCTION

We had a record breaking summer. We offered the most classes we ever have. We had the most teachers we’ve ever had. We had the most enrollments we’ve ever had.  And we had the most fun we’ve ever had.  I would say the only dark cloud was all the construction in this area. Although presently inconvenient, it is much needed progress. Perhaps the most common remark people made as the rushed into class feeling late was that they could see the build for the last 20 minutes – they just couldn’t get here.  The good news is it is getting better and better all the time. Participants who come for classes this fall will find it a little easier to get here, but should still expect some construction.  Your patience and humor were much appreciated this summer. Finding the secret way in from week to week really was a challenge.

DESTRUCTION
In early August a storm tore the roof of our building. Being the top floor, we bore the brunt of the damage – losing 3 classrooms and all the equipment in them.  Even though our offices we not seriously damaged, they moved us off The Eighth Floor until repairs can be made.  We are now ALL sharing a large, open room on the Fourth Floor. It has been a month and we are still alive and speaking to each other!  So far.

We have been told we should be back in our offices and up and running by the middle of October. (Hmmm . . . . sounds like the “two weeks” answer. All renovation takes two weeks, right? )   In absolute faith, we scheduled classes to be held ON the Eighth Floor starting in November.  Still, we couldn’t wait until then to have classes.  TTC and TCC both we able to find us some space here and there.  So we are able to do some classes in October. 

INSTRUCTION
Even though we were able to find some classroom space, we didn’t think we would be busy enough, and we didn’t want to lose the momentum from summer. So, we came up with our “October Scratch n’ Dent Sale.”  The idea is that for the month of October, we would do District Requests for free.

OMG!!  We had no idea how popular this would be. Between the classes we had scheduled and all the District Requests, we can’t put our finger on a blank spot anywhere on the calendar for the month of October.  No Vacancy. 

This is great news!  I see a number of bonuses: we don’t have to worry about these classes canceling, we get to spend some time in new and different learning environments, we can meet consortium members who might never get to take a class on The Eighth Floor, and we can engage in more specialized and informal instruction.  It has been so popular that we are trying to come up with a way to do something like this on a more regular basis.

Hopefully we will see you at your location or ours at some point this fall.

Just sharin’
Lee Anne